American Dragon: African Heart
by ORIONSTORM04
Summary: The moment everyone has been waiting for! Orianna has a choice to make, either tell Jake who and what she is, or risk losing him forever. There are consequences to her choices, some seen and others unseen. Chapter 14 new! Please read and review.
1. African Skies

_**American Dragon: African Heart**_

_**By: Orionstorm04**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own American Dragon: Jake Long that belongs to Disney. All I own is the original idea and any original character. Alright now that I have the technicalities out the way let's get to the heart of the matter. This is my second fanfic I haven't finished my other but my muse decided to kick my butt until I wrote this one too (or at least started on it). Hope you enjoy this and please read and review it tends to keep me motivated when I know someone else is enjoying this as much as I do. Oh and check out my other fanfic its called: Of Mutants and Benders an Avatar the Last Airbender X-men crossover( I know; it's a shameless plug but hey).**_

_AN: This is my first American Dragon: Jake Long fic, I would like to ask in advance for your forgiveness for I am not entirely versed on the show. I watched when it debuted and was an advent viewer up until the animation changed and then I kinda fell off, oh well no use crying over spilled milk. First I would like to say thank you for reading the story. Now where should I begin oh yeah the names, well I know they are a little hard to pronounce so I'll try and help you out on that Aannanie is pronounced Ah Na Nie while Akeeda is Ah Key Da. The name Andam was a name created by topdog16 (I think; I tried researching to see if that was the name of the African dragon but couldn't find anything.) who writes wonderful stories you should check them out. Also I would like to apologize for this lengthy chapter; if you've read my other fanfic: __**Of Mutants and Benders**__ you would know that I like for my stories to have consistency so I tend to go into some pretty deep details. Please if you have any suggestions or criticism review and I'll try my best to incorporate your ideas._

_**African Sky's **_

Africa; considered to be the cradle of life for all humans in the world. When you think of it, you think of wild animals, open plains and natural beauty. And on any other night that's probably what could have been witnessed; but tonight was marked with a raging storm that engulfed half of East Africa. Deep in an isolated jungle in the heart of Kenya laid a city unparallel to any other with its magnificent architecture to its flowing rivers that ran through the city itself, it was call Zirenthea. The streets were deserted due to the heavy rains; no one would dare try to traverse the city in this type of maelstrom. Lightning flashed across the sky to illuminate everything below; but at the same time a cry could be heard somewhere in the distance. The crowning jewel of this magnificent city would be the palace which was placed in the center of the city, and in the palace its keepers were running frantically and with every few minutes another scream could be heard. Women carrying large basins of water were going from room to room collecting towels and other necessities.

Inside one of the rooms lay a woman considerably pregnant and very agitated by the constant traffic of people in and out of her room. All the disruptions nearly drove the woman crazy until finally she had enough and with a glare that could kill she address the attendants

" If you all don't leave this room this instant I will make all of your lives a living Hell!!" she hissed through clenched teeth and barely contained pain.

The woman lying in the bed was no older than twenty-five with azure colored eyes that were in strake contrast to her brown skin and jet black hair; but it was her eyes that held so much wisdom that defied her age and made her people love and respect her. A middle aged woman sitting next to her began to chuckle as she noticed the expressions on the other women's faces, she like her friend was youthful in appearance but one could tell she acted well beyond her age.

While wiping a damp cloth across the other woman's head she tried her best to calm her friend

"Aannanie… please calm down. You know they are only here to help and you yelling at them is not making the situation any better." she said with a soft smile on her lips. She knew that her friend was in pain due to the labor but that gave her no excuse to yell at those trying to help. After telling the other midwives to continue what they were doing she turned back to Aannanie.

"Come now Aannanie; must you make these poor women anymore nervous then the already are?" she said with a hint of teasing in her voice. Aannanie turned her murderous glare to her friend and spoke with clear indignation in her voice

"Them nervous?! What about me, I'm the one who is feeling like I am being torn apart from the inside Akeeda. Let them try having this baby and see how they respond!" to which all Akeeda could do was laugh. She had been best friend with Aannanie for years; actually since they were toddlers and in all that time she had never seen her friend so afraid, well unless you count that time that they had broken that ceremonial urn at the summer solstice a few years back.

Aannanie simple stared at Akeeda as if she had lost her mind "And what in the Goddess' name is so funny?! I see nothing amusing here Akeeda."

After whipping the tear from her eye Akeeda tried lamely to compose herself "Forgive me I was simply marveling at your complete control in all of this…" she said sarcastically but when she looked at the other woman's face she thought it best to be serious. "Look; I know this is really, really tough on you. But you must stay calm or you'll only make it worse if you continue to overly stress yourself. Now I want you to try and calm down and we'll see how much you have dilated." Begrudgingly Aannanie did as she was told and took several deep breaths to relax herself while Akeeda went to the end of the bed and lifted the covers over her keens to examine her. After a few tense minutes Akeeda peaked her head over Aannanie's knees and with a jubilant smile announced that the time had come.

"You're fully dilated Aanna… I can see the head! The baby is crowning!" she said excitedly.

With a huge sigh and a smile to match Aannanie flopped her head back onto her pillow and said "Finally… I was beginning to think she would stay in there."

Akeeda looked at her friend with a quizzical expression on her face and asked "How do you know it's a girl? I thought you said you didn't want to know the sex of the baby until after it was born?" Akeeda distinctively recalled Aannanie giving specific instructions not to be told the gender of the baby, she said she wanted it to be a surprise and that none of the physician were to tell a soul.

"I don't know… it just feels like it's the right thing to say…" Aannanie responded to her. Though she couldn't see Akeeda's expression she knew what she was thinking "and no I didn't go back on my word and force the physician to tell me either so you can stop looking at me like that." Akeeda only shook her head and smiled; she knew once Aanna made up her mind about something she wasn't likely to change it, so she didn't give the matter anymore thought.

It was soon time for Aannanie to start pushing, which was something she really wasn't looking forward to.

"Okay Aanna I need you to push for me…" said Akeeda, and clenching her teeth Aanna started to push.

Not five seconds into her first push Aannanie let loose a bloodcurdling scream that could peel paint off a wall. The midwives winced in pain as they listened to the woman's scream; it was like nothing they had ever heard before; almost as if the woman was dying. With deep labored breaths Aannanie shut her eyes tightly and gasped to her friend.

"Keeda… I can't. It hurts… I-I don't think I can do it." By this time Aanna's forehead and hair was completely drenched in sweat and tears were forming in her eyes. Akeeda threw back her shoulders and set her jaw as she looked at her and with a tone that left no room for argument.

"You have no choice. You have to push… not only for you sake but for the sake of the child! You will be a mother soon Aannanie; you have to be strong and willing to make hard choices for you and your baby. Now stop you're wining and push, I don't have all night to sit here I want to see my godchild sometime this millennium." At her words Aannanie sat shocked, she knew Akeeda was right; she had no choice the baby was coming and there was no delaying any farther and besides she was eager to see her little one as well.

After hours of labor for which Aannanie thought she would surely die of there came the most beautiful sound in the world; the sound of her first born daughter's cries. Akeeda stood at the edge of the bed with the baby safely wrapped in a white cotton cloth, and all the while she had a look of bewilderment imprinted on her face. Finally lifting her head from pure exhaustion Aannanie looked to see where her baby was and why hadn't she been brought to her. Her gaze fell on the sight of her best friend being surrounded by the attendants and midwives all with the same awed expression on their faces. With a weary smile on her face Aannanie called out to them.

"Well… aren't you going to let me see my baby? Or will you hold her captive from me? Though I have to tell you after going through that much pain to bring her into this world I will not be so apt to let her go without a fight."

She was teasing they all knew but they thought it was wise to bring the baby to her. Once she had her child in her hand Aannanie felt a sense of fulfillment and completeness settle over her, she never felt so whole in all her life. Slowly removing the cloth from over the baby's head as to get a good look at her Aannanie's smile only brighten, the baby girl was beautiful. She had her mother's soft golden brown skin and when the child open her eyes Aannanie couldn't help but notice that she also had her azure colored eyes. The one thing that really made her precious bundle of joy radiate was her curly and slightly wavy pure white hair. Aannanie immediately recognized the texture of the little girl's hair as being that of the baby's father that had passed away before he even knew of Aannanie's pregnancy.

It was Akeeda who was the first to speak.

"Ohh… Aannanie; she's gorgeous and that head of hair, I have never seen such a pure color of white" she admonished. The woman standing next to her beamed at the little girl.

"She has been touched by the Goddess herself. Only those who the Goddess bestows her grace upon are gifted with such beauty. This child has a great destiny placed upon her."

Still in her own little world Aannanie had yet to acknowledge what the other women were saying, she just could not bring her eyes away from her little girl. All sorts of things ran through her mind; like how much she would love this child, how much fun she would have in showing her off, and finally how she would never know her father. The last thought is what brought Aannanie back to the present. It pained her to know that Orin would never get a chance to know their child, but she knew she could not dwell on the past. Orin was dead and there was nothing she could do to change that fact; and the knowledge of that brought a tear to her eyes.

Akeeda looked at her friend and notice the sudden change in her emotions but before she had a chance to comment on it the doors to the room were thrown open and in walked a procession of finely garbed men and women. At the head of the procession there stood a tall dark skinned man with a bald head and a graying bearded dressed in royal purple robes. Once he reached the bed he looked upon mother and child with a warm smile.

"Ah; Princess Aannanie it is good to see you and the child well."

Aannanie returned the smile with a little less warmth behind it as she responded to him.

"Well Councilman Dar; whereas I appreciate your kind thoughts I have not delivered my baby more than twenty minutes before you and the rest of the Magical Council have descended upon me."

Akeeda tried miserably to stifle her laugh as she looked at the council's faces as Aannanie reprimanded them under the guise of appreciation. Though Councilman Dar looked unfazed by the remark he and the other councilman moved closer to look at the newborn baby.

"I see she has her mother's beauty. And what peculiar colored hair…" he looked curiously from child to mother "surely she did not inherit it from you as I have known both your parent and neither of them had such hair."

Aannanie bit the inside of her check; she hated when people spoke of Orin be it good or bad it always tended to remind her that he was gone. Still with her smile plastered on her face she answered his question.

"No she did not receive her hair from my side of the family. And to answer your other question she did not get it from her father. It was a gift from the Goddess" she stated proudly. Whispering could be heard amongst the other councilman while Dar continued to speak with Aannanie.

"Hmmm… that is quite an honor for your child to be so blessed by the Goddess…" the man had a look in his eye that could only be described as full of wonderment his smile slowly grew into a fully fledged grin "we will have to keep an eye out for the young princess here. Her destiny proves to be an interesting one indeed. We will let you rest Your Grace; as we have another engagement. It has come to our attention that a new American Dragon has been born this day to. Maybe some time in the future the two young ones will meet." Dar said as he and the other member began to turn and leave before he stopped in his track and said "By the way what is the child's name?"

Aannanie did not hesitate in her response.

"Orianna."

Dar looked carefully for a moment before he smiled and said "Ahh; a named derived from the combination of her parent: Orin and Aannanie." Before he could walk out of the room Aannanie called out to him.

"Oh and Councilman Dar… please send my greetings to the African Dragon Andam. It has been far too long since we have spoken to one another." Dar agreed to deliver the message then turned to leave the room leaving only mother and child as the attendant along with Akeeda had followed them out. Smiling at her now sleeping daughter Aannanie spoke softly to the child "Sleep now my little star and moon for tomorrow will be a big day for us both." Soon she too was fast asleep.

* * *

_**Fall of Zirenthea**_

Six Months Later…

Run, that was all that Aannanie could think of at the moment; just run and don't look back. She could hear the explosions and the cries of her people begging to be saved, to be spared. And as much as her heart ached to hear them suffering she could not stop, she had to make sure that her daughter got away safely before she could return to help her people, and as selfish as that sounded she knew she was doing the right thing. While running through the corridors of the palace she was able to get quick glimpses of the city out of the floor-to-ceiling windows and what she saw terrified her. Down below the city that was once a paradise now looked like it had descended into Hell. Fires were raging uncontrollably while its citizens ran for their lives from the monstrous creatures that attacked them. The beast were over 8 feet tall with skin that looked as though it had decomposed centuries ago and piercing red eyes with no pits, they just seemed like pools of blood; no emotion behind them but the need to devour flesh and mane anything in their path.

Aannanie was terrified, not for herself but for the welfare of her child. She did not believe she would be able to defend herself and keep the child safe; so that drew her to her current conclusion. Run, and get Orianna to safety then return to deal with the threat to her people. Nearing the passageway that would take her to the room she needed Aannanie let out a small gasp as a cloaked figure appeared in front of the large door. On instinct Aannanie raised her free hand and began to speak an incantation that would completely obliterate her cloaked assailant.

"EVITA ENIS…" she was preparing to complete her spell when the figure spoke in a voice that she could not forget even if she tried.

"Aannanie WAIT!! It's me…" the figure quickly removed the hood to reveal the face of Aannanie's lifelong friend and Lady in Waiting Akeeda. Lowering her hand and placing it over her heart Aannanie let out a huge sigh of relief.

"By the Goddess Akeeda it is you…" she went to embrace her friend with a fierce hug "I had thought you were lost to me, taken by those horrible creatures." Akeeda returned the hug just as tightly.

"No, I managed to make it here. I knew this would be the only safe place once the monsters overtook the Evanti." Throughout the Zirenthea's history it had always been protected by not only it ruler but also by an elite guard know as the Evanti. The Evanti were skilled men and women chosen by the King or Queen to be endowed with sacred powers that could be used to defend the city and its ruler.

Finally pulling away from one another Aannanie looked Akeeda in the eyes and said "Well I'm glad you're safe; now you can help me."

Immediately Akeeda brought her full attention to her friend prepared to do whatever she asked of her.

"Anything Aanna." At her friends immediate response Aannanie beamed with thanks to Akeeda for she knew the request she would make would break the other woman's heart; she also knew that next to herself Akeeda would go to any lengths to protect her child.

"Good, now follow me we haven't much time. As we speak I can sense his demonic presence in the palace walls, and if we do not hurry all will be lost." Opening the door Aannanie walked swiftly into the next room followed by Akeeda. The room was large with torches burning in every corner giving it a half shadow atmosphere and in the center of the room lay what appeared to be a pool with ancient ruins surround its base. Once both were inside Akeeda quickly shut the door and used a sealing spell so that it could not be opened.

"Why are we here Aanna…this is _"The Bath of Oshun"_ what are you…" at this point Akeeda was completely lost. What could Aannanie be doing here, she couldn't possibly be thinking of abandoning her people at this time of crisis that just didn't sound like her.

"We haven't the time to discuss it now! Come with me." Aannanie commanded with her hand outstretched to Akeeda and her eyes pleading.

Akeeda did as commanded and took hold of her hand and slowly stepped in the water. To any other who did not know what the bath was used for would have looked as though the woman had lost their minds but as the saying goes looks can be deceiving. The bath had been giving to the Royal Family of Zirenthea generation ago by the Goddess of Water herself. It was to be used to not only view the outside world but to travel to it. Concentrating hard on the task at hand Aannanie focused her thoughts on a place far from her home to where her friend and daughter would be spared the horrible fate that befell her kingdom. The waters surrounding them began to glow an eerie white color and churned around them. When Aannanie opened her eyes all color was drained of them and all that was left were milky pools and in a blinding flash they were gone.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away from the City of Zirenthea stood the Lake of Elementeita, normally during the dry season the lake is completely empty but not this night. Slowly as if arising from some underground spring, water began to fill the crater; once the water reached its maximum spouts of water began to rise into the air. Twisting and turning amongst themselves the spouts soon created a rising geyser of spiraling of water. Once the water accumulated enough it exploded outwards sprinkling the earth around the shore and standing in its place was Aannanie holding a crying Orianna and a slightly dazed Akeeda.

Walking on top of the water the women made their way to the lake bed and quickly made their way over to the dense shrubs a few feet away. After making sure they were not followed Aannanie turned to Akeeda with a determined look in her eye for she knew what she was about to tell her friend would be tremendously painful for her.

"Akeeda; I need you to take Orianna and go as far away from Zirenthea as possible. I do not have time to explain it all but you must make sure that she is safe." The moment the words "take Orianna and go" left Aannanie's mouth Akeeda began to shack her head vehemently.

"NO! Aannanie I can't do that… why would you ask me to do something like that?!"

Aannanie tried to reason with the other woman because she knew time was short and it would only be a matter of time before the demonic presence caught on that she nor her child was still in the city.

"Akeeda please listen to me. I can't protect Orianna and fight this battle. I need to know that she is safe and the only way I will know that is if I know she is with you."

Akeeda was not ready to give up the fight that easily.

"But why? I'm sure that the magical council is aware of what is happing. Won't they send Zirenthea aid, you don't have to do this Aanna; think of your child. What will she do if you are killed."

Looking down at her daughter Aannanie knew she was doing the right thing by going back and taking care of the threat head on, but she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she failed. Turning back to Akeeda, she had a determined glare one that left the other woman with her mouth pinned shut.

"It is not up for debate. You will take this child and you will run as far away as you can and not look back…"then the look on her face softened "I can remember only months ago when you told me that I was to be a mother and that I would have to make tough decision for not only my sake but for the sake of my child. Well my friend that is what I am doing; making the decision that will keep her safe. I have no more options Keeda, I am more than sure the Magical Council is aware of our situation but at this point their help would be futile. T-This monster; whoever he is, is far more powerful than they are capable of dealing with so now I must take matters into my own hand and make sure that he is sealed away indefinitely."

All the while Aannanie was delivering her speech, she was passing her daughter to her friend and preparing herself mentally to say goodbye.

"That is exactly my point Aanna, if he is more powerful than the Magical Council to take care of what hope do you have. You would only be throwing your life away, please come with use you can raise Orianna with me. Please I-I can't lose you… I don't know what I would do if you weren't there. And what would I tell Orianna when she is older about what happen to her mother?" by this time Akeeda was in tears. The thought of losing her one true friend in the whole world scared her almost as much as raising said friends child and having to explain that her mother was killed trying to win a lost cause.

"You will tell her that her mother loved her very much…" Aannanie said with her own tears streaming down her face "you will tell her that I will always love her and nothing in this world will ever change that…" she continued to say while loving stroking the infant's curly white hair. After placing one final kiss to her daughter head Aannanie stared at Akeeda preparing to give her the last of her orders "And you will not tell her of past." That was what gained all of Akeeda's attention and she was prepared to continue arguing but Aannanie quickly cut her off.

"That too is not up for debate. You mustn't tell her of her home. In fact you will pretend you never heard of Zirenthea. I want no one to knowing that my child is alive for if I fail in my attempts' to seal this beast I want him to think that my child died with everyone else; not even the Magical Council is to know that she lived. Do you understand?"

At first Akeeda wanted to say no; that she would not lie to this child about where she came from or who her mother really was but after thinking it through she knew that it would be the best thing. Aannanie was right. If she failed in stopping the monster nothing would stop it from hunting her and Orianna down until they too were dead. With a deep sigh and bowing her head Akeeda agreed to keep her secrets. Smiling Aannanie hugged her friend for what she was sure for the last time.

"I still want her trained in her powers. I want her to be able to take care of herself if the need ever arose and I know she could not ask for a better teacher than you." Slowly pulling apart Aannanie started to remove the pendent she had made in honor of her daughter. I was a beautiful diamond in the shape of a star with a platinum crescent moon in its center.

"This is for you my little star and moon; so that you will never forget me. Be strong child and know that I will always be looking after you no matter what." With those final words Aannanie began to walk back to the lake. Once she reached the center of the lake she turned back to look at her family for the last time and with a soft smile on her face and tears in her eyes she called out to Akeeda.

"Take care of her Keeda… and know that you both will always be with me." And with that she disappeared in the lake.

For a long time all Akeeda could do was stare at the lake at which her friend disappeared in stunned. She couldn't believe that she would never see Aannanie again, and the thought of that tore at her soul. Looking down at the child she knew she had a responsibility to her godchild; she had to make sure she was protected and that meant getting her to a safe haven. Standing up Akeeda prepared herself for the long journey to the next village. After walking for a few miles she could feel the earth began to quake, she immediately turned her head in the direction she knew Zirenthea to be. And with a grim expression on her face her gaze fell upon what looked like a volcano erupting and in the pit of her stomach she knew what had just happened. Aannanie unleashed her full power and plunged their home into a perpetual tomb covered in molten rock and an impenetrable spell, to seal not only herself but one of the most evil being in the world. Soon she began to press on she would make sure that no harm would come to her child.

To be continued….


	2. Family Reunion

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

_Disclaimer: Of course I don't own American Dragon; cause if I did the story wouldn't have gone the way it did. Okay first I would like to say that this will not.. I repeat not be a Jake/Rose paring. For the life of me I just can't get into them two being together, it's just to cliché. I mean Jake/Trixie I can deal with solely because those two have real chemistry between them. Jake/Rose just seems to fake; like come on who fawns over a girl that much just by looking at her once. Anyway I'm rambling. I would like to give a special thanks to YFWE for my first review and you're helpful words of advice and also to I truly thank you for taking the time to read and review like I said before it keeps me motivated knowing that someone else is enjoying this so on to the story. Oh and please read and review_

'In thought'

"Outspoken words"

Family Reunion:

It had been fifteen years since the fall of Zirenthea; soon the once great city fell into legend and people began to wonder if it really existed at all. Akeeda held true to her word and took Orianna as far away as possible. They traveled all around the continent until finally settling with a remote tribe of Zulu in South Africa. While growing up Akeeda taught her young charge to control the gifts giving to her as best she could. Akeeda taught her ancient incantation that had a wide variety of uses ranging from levitating of object to healing wounds. Although there were some things that Akeeda could not teach her; it was always know to Akeeda that the child possessed skills that were consider to be divine gifts from the Goddess but what those skill were and how to help the child master them was completely beyond her scope to help.

Akeeda was able to recall when Orianna was but a small child when she had a bad dream and in her frightened state had cause serious damage to their hut. It took all of Akeeda skill to calm the child but by then it was too late; Orianna had managed to lift the hut at least six feet off the ground and when she was awakened it caused to house to come down with a thunderous crash.

From that point on it became increasingly difficult to conceal Orianna's true identity not only from the other villagers but from the child herself. Orianna would always come with questions pertaining to her parentage and while Akeeda was able to give any and all information about her father she couldn't very well tell her who her mother really was and what had happened to her. Akeeda told Orianna that her father's name was Orin and it was a combination of both her parents name form where she derived her own name. She also found out that her father was American archeologists who meet her mother while he was excavating an ancient temple in Kenya.

At first that seemed to satisfy Orianna until the questions about her hair and her extreme magical potential started to arise. Akeeda simply told her that her hair had something to do with a pigmentation disorder and that it was nothing to worry about and her magical capabilities was just a product of natural talent. Orianna had always had a problem with her hair; while growing up, the other kids in the village would tease her about it, calling her a freak saying that throughout all Africa no one has hair as white besides the elderly.

Akeeda had lost track of how many times the young girl had come home with tears in her eyes or how many times she had to perform counter spells to ward off what Orianna had inadvertently set into motion, soon Orianna just simply started to wear a turban to conceal her hair from everyone. Though Orianna told Akeeda that she wasn't ashamed of her hair the older woman didn't really buy it but thought to not push the issue since it was her decision to make.

So as time went by and Akeeda continued to look after Orianna as if she were her own the two thought that life would remain that way for years to come; but like all good things it had to come to an end. A few weeks before Orianna's sixteenth birthday Akeeda began to grow ill, at first she was able to hide it from the godchild telling her that she was simply tired and that bed rest was all she need. So for a week Orianna tended to the house work and prepared the meal while Akeeda relaxed and tried to get better. It didn't take Akeeda to learn that no amount of bed rest could help her and she was able to feel herself slowly fading in strength; soon she knew what she had to do.

Akeeda was aware that although Orin's parents had died long ago he still had an aunt who lived in America. It sadden her to think that she would have to send Orianna away from the only home she has know her entire life but she knew she couldn't just leave her with no family to speak of. It was in the week following that Akeeda made the necessary arrangements and got in contact with Orin's aunt and told her of her situation and asked if it would be okay for the child to move in with her. At first the woman was hesitant to accepts since she had never heard of her nephew having a child but once Akeeda submitted proof the Orianna was in fact Orin's child she gladly accepted; now all that was left was for her to break the news to Orianna and the thought nearly broke Akeeda's heart.

* * *

While returning home from her private training Orianna was mentally contemplating what was going on in her life at the moment. She had successfully complete what in other countries would be considered her junior year of high school, she had finally got the other girls in the village to stop teasing her about what she was and also got one of the boys in the village to notice her as in Orianna the girl and not Orianna the village freak, and finally she was getting a better understanding of her powers.

Since Akeeda got sick she had to train on her own and while that gave her free reign to further explore her powers it also made it harder. Yesterday for instance while she was performing a few spells on one of the ridges near the village, she missed calculated the force of a particular explosive spell which caused the ridge to slid plummeting her off the ledge and to the bottom which was a good thirty feet below. 

Her mind couldn't process what was happening so she wasn't able to remember the simple incantation to levitate herself safely to the bottom; she just shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable. After a few moments of falling with no sudden stop she slowly opened her eyes to see why she hadn't kissed the ground yet, and to her astonishment she was flying a few feet from the ground. T

he flying part really wasn't what got her attention for she had flown before but what really got her smiling from ear to ear were the huge pure white wings that had suddenly appeared on her back. At first she couldn't think of what she had to materialize wings on her back, she couldn't recall any incantation that could do something like that; but soon she stopped caring she simply enjoyed the freedom of flight while she zipped through the clouds at top speeds and glided alongside the birds.

Snapping herself from her mental recap of her day, Orianna notice she was only a few feet away from her home. She thought it would be best not to tell Akeeda of what she was doing today; in her weakened state she would cause her godmother to have a heart attack. Laughing at her own joke Orianna walked into her home with a jubilant smile on her face.

"Good afternoon mama! How are you felling today?" Orianna said as she caught site of her pseudo mother lying down in her bed. Lifting her eyes from the letter in her hand Akeeda looked at her goddaughter with a curious expression on her face.

"And what has gotten into you child? Prancing about as if you own the world."

After removing her turban and taking a bowl of hot soup from the fire Orianna walked over to the bed.

"Nothing has gotten into me; I'm just happy today. People are no longer staring at me, Adam has finally spoken more than two words to me that didn't consist of my hair color or the strange happenings at our home and you are looking better today. What is there not to be happy about?!"

While Akeeda was happy that Orianna had finally managed to make friends the smile that had spread onto her face slowly started to fall. While absentmindedly listen to Orianna tell her how Adam approached her Akeeda began to wonder if today was the day she would tell her about everything that was to happen. With a heavy sigh and a look of sadness in her eyes Akeeda interrupted the girl before she could go any farther.

"Anna… wait…there is something I need to talk with you about."

Orianna looked at her 'mother' with an apprehensive look on her face. Normally whenever she said she need to speak to her about something and used that tone it meant she was either in trouble or she was about to tell her something that could be considered bad news.

"What is it mama? Is everything okay… is your head hurting cause if that's it we can talk about this later after you've had time to rest. I can make you tea that always seems to help…" Before Orianna could remove herself from the bed Akeeda's hand shot out to grab her by the wrist and slowly pulled her back down beside her.

"No my child… I would love to talk to you until the end of time. I do not need rest or tea just your company and you attention. I must talk to you about something very important and I need you to listen to me and promise to do whatever I say."

Orianna could tell from those few words that this conversation would not end well but she didn't feel like arguing right now so she promised Akeeda that she would follow her order. Satisfied that Orianna would listen to her Akeeda began to explain everything that was happening.

"Orianna… as you know over the past few weeks I have been sick…"

Orianna didn't want to hear her godmother talk like that; it always made her feel like she was helpless.

"I know mama but that's just because you were training with me so hard. All you need is to build back up you strength and when you do your going to have to take it easy. I can take care of myself you don't have to go to such length to make sure my training is going okay."

Akeeda smiled, it was true that Orianna was more than capable to handling her powers but that was the matter at hand.

"Let me finish. My health is slipping Anna and it has nothing to do with your training…and do not interrupt me again young lady while I am speaking." With a heavy heart Akeeda prepared herself to give to killing blow that would surely cause the child to go into a meltdown.

"Orianna… I am dying. I've known for a while now; it's something that neither I nor you have any control over. This is a natural part of life my child… everything that has a beginning must have an end and it is simply my time to go."

At this point Orianna couldn't keep quiet any longer; she had just heard the only family she has left tell her that she was dying and that there was nothing that either of them could do to stop it. Her heart sank and her cerulean colored eyes filled with tears; this couldn't be happing she couldn't be losing all that she has ever known.

"NO! You can't be dying. You said that all you need was rest and that you would be okay. You told me that I had nothing to worry about; what am I supposed to do without you!? Where am I supposed to go? I need you… I-I can't be alone… I can't. Please! I promise I'll train harder. I'll find a way to make you better… just please don't leave me!" Orianna buried her head on the mother's stomach sobbing and begging for her not to leave; promising that she would do anything to make her better. With tears of her own Akeeda softly stroked the curly wild white hairs on Orianna head and spoke softly to her.

"Everything will be alright. You needn't be afraid… I have arranged for you to live with your great aunt, she was your father's aunt who lives in America…" Lifting Orianna's head from her stomach Akeeda whipped the tears that had made their way down her beautiful face. She hated to see her cry because staring at her when she cried reminded her so much of Aannanie that it brought instant tears to her eyes. "...and you must know that I will always be with you. Not even death can separate us just like it can't separate you from your mother, it is a bond that we will always share."

At the mention of the word bond Orianna lifted her hear.

"Bond… that's it. I can perform the healing bond, that should heal you right; isn't that what you said it was used for to connect two people in body and soul?"

Akeeda stopped her where she stood. This was a conversation that they had several times, and the outcome would still be the same.

"NO! I will not have you waste you life like that. I have told you several times that the healing bond should only be performed as a last possible resort; when you feel as if you have no more options and by an extremely skilled sorceress and you are not at that level yet. Besides my stage of life is too far gone for it to have any effect… don't cry my child it will all work out in the end. I just need you to be strong for me okay."

Slowly nodding her head Orianna agreed to what her 'mother' was saying. She knew she wasn't to a level where she could perform the healing bond without cause of even more damage to her mother or herself, knowing that brought tears to her eyes. She would lose her mother and have to move away from the only home she has ever known.

* * *

One Month Later:

New York City: wild, dangerous and home to some of the greatest skate parks this side of the Hudson River. At least that's the kind of response you would get from the three teenagers that were expertly showing off their talents. Over 

the past three years the trio has still remained the best of friends. Not to say that other things hadn't changed over the years; their appearance for one thing was a dramatic change. Spud for instance had managed to shoot up to a very towering six feet over the course of a few years; and not only that but he managed to whip that skinny little body of his into a nice lean frame of muscle. He managed to ditch the goofy beanie he would wear and now styled his shoulder length hair in a nice ponytail.

Trixie also was a completely different sight to see; from her 5'5'' stature with generous hips and full breast to her hair that she finally removed from her pigtail into a sophisticated shoulder length layered cut. But it was Jake Long who had changed the most. After years of training with his grandfather Jake whipped his body into a sculpted mass of muscle and pure sex appeal. Gone was the less than five foot tall skinny little boy and in his place stood the Six foot dark haired Adonis known as the American Dragon. Today was a day that the gang had planned on doing nothing but hanging out with one another and skating to their hearts content. Trixie sat a little farther back from the boys to just admire her friends talent.

"Damn Jakey-Boi you are tearin' it up out there!"

While landing from his mid-air flip with board still in hand Jake turned to smile at her.

"I know Trix, ya boy got skills but thanks for cheerleadin"

Trixie then turned her smiling face from admiration to one of mock disdain.

"Don't get cocky now… ya ain't that good."

Jake tried his best to look offended but all he could manage was a loped sided grin. Spud had just joined them from the opposite side of the ramp.

"Awww…don't I get a lil support? I mean did you see those trick I was pullin' back there? Tony Hawk couldn't even pull stunts like that in his prime."

By this time Spud had what only could be described as the most adorable pout on his face that Trixie Carter had ever seen. Standing up from her seat on the bench Trixie slipped past Jake a walked up to Spud; she slow stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around the tall boy and with a seductive tone whispered.

"Baby… you did real good out there. I was just watin' ta give you your present after me and you were alone."

Spud had turned a bright red by the tone in Trixie's voice and he couldn't quit help the reaction she was having on his nether regions either. Around their sophomore year in high school Spud and Trixie had finally managed to come to terms with their true feelings. Spud had admitted to Trixie that the only reason he was chasing Stacey was because he didn't know how to tell her how he felt; and she in turned admitted that she always had a thing for him ever since the Oracle Twins told them of the prophecy. After that the two seemed inseparable even to the point that Jake often felt like a third wheel in what used to be the Three Musketeers.

"Aww man… come on guys maybe you should just get a room; or at least wait until I leave. You two or worse than rabbits the way ya'll constantly suckin face." Jake said with a teasing tone to his voice. After finally coming up for air Trixie turned while still in Spud's arms and gave Jake a wicked smile.

"Mauh… is Jakey missin his little Rose?" Trixie asked and then a confused look fell over her face "And where the Hell is lil miss thang anyway? I haven't seen her since school let out. You'd think with their only being two weeks before the new semester starts she would be here."

By this time the trio had started removing their skate gear and put back on their shoes. Jake looked to Trixie with a face that clearly said he didn't want to talk about it right now.

"She's still with her parents on vacation in Paris. She told me she would be back last week but I guess their plans changed. I haven't gotten to spend one day with her since the end of the school year…" Jake was looking at the ground as if it could give him all the help he need. He and Rose's relationship had kinda been on the rock ever since she moved back from Hong Kong; he thought that he would be happy when she moved back to New York and remembered who she was but things never really were the same.

"I really miss her ya know. I mean we never really get to spend any time together… she always have this planned or that. She never really makes any time for me and her to just chill… her and her parents should be flying into the JFK airport sometime this week I guess I'll see her then."

"Shit..Shit…Shit I can't believe I forgot…" Trixie began to cures at herself out loud at the mention of the word airport. She began to pick up pace until she got into a light jog. The boys were completely lost as to what she was talking about until Spud grabbed her by the arm.

"What's wrong babe?"Spud asked. Trixie turned to him with an ashamed look on her face.

"I forgot my grandma wanted me to come with her and pick up my cousin from the airport." At their confused faces she explained. "Come on Spud; you remember I told you that my cousin on my uncle's side was moving with us from Africa. I been talkin about it non-stop from like a month now."

Jake then looked at her with a huge smile on his face. "Well if you been talkin bout it for that long ma I can't see how you forgot."

By this time Trixie had started sprinting down the street again and halfway turned around to yell at Jake.

"If I wasn't already late lil boi I would turn around and whip ya ass, but as things are I already have to run just to get home." Both Jake and Spud laughed while Trixie disappeared around the corner. Spud turned to look at Jake with a small smile on his face.

"You know dude that she was serious right?"

It took Trixie a good ten minutes to make it home and once she stepped foot into the front door she was meet with the disapproving glare of her grandmother.

"And where have you been? You where supposed to be here an hour ago!" Anita Carter wasn't the type of woman to lose her temper easily; and that was a fact that Trixie could attest to. But today was a very important day and she was nearly at her breaking point.

"I'm sooo sorry grandma. I was with Spud and Jake… I just lost track of time." Anita started to grab her purse and walk towards the door before she turned to Trixie.

"We don't have time to worry about that now; we have to get to the airport, your cousin's plane should be landing soon. It will do you some good to have another girl around, you spend way too much time around boys; you almost starting to act like them." Anita began digging in her purse for her keys when she finally found them at the very bottom; with a triumphant smile she looked Trixie in and eye.

"What ever happened to your friend Rose anyway; I was hoping you and her would be good friends."

Trixie started at her grandmother with a scandalized look on her face.

"Me and Rose ain't neva been friends… I can barely stand the gurl. And as for me hangin around with boys to much…please grandma, Spud is my boyfriend and Jake is my best friend. Who else do you want me to hang with?" Trixie followed her grandmother to the blue Camry parked in front of their brown stone and waited for her to unlock the door; once inside her grandmother continued with her rant.

"And how many times must as tell you to not use that-that slang or whatever it is you call it. Sounds like Ebonics to me; what will your cousin think when she hears you talk like that, probably that every African American is alliterate."

Trixie's grandmother was a former high school teacher and Trixie knew full well that her grandmother hated it when she spoke like that, but she didn't care. In her mind the way she spoke was part of who she was, so as not to disrespect her grandmother she rarely spoke like that in front of her. But who were they kidding; they were going to pick up a girl who spent her entire life in a small village in southern Africa; how much English could she know? It wasn't like she would know any better if Trixie enunciated her words or not, but hey why argue the point anyway; her grandmother would most likely educate the girl when she got there. Smiling Trixie murmured to herself.

"Poor gurl don't know what she's getting herself into."

"What was that?" Trixie didn't even bother to answer; she just stared out the window and waited until they got to the airport.

* * *

The trip to the airport took longer than Trixie thought it would; what with traffic and all. And of course her grandma was pissed to say the least. 'Aww Hell imma get it when she gets home… well maybe not if I can keep her distracted with the new house guest.' Walking to gate 52 at the JFK, Trixie for the first time began to wonder what her cousin even looked like. They didn't have a camera where she lived so they couldn't send a photo.

All Trixie was told was that her name was Orianna and that her aunt who was really her godmother just recently passed away and that she had no other family to speak of. Scanning the crowd Trixie began to get a headache; everyone getting off the plane was African; how was she supposed to know which one was her. Her grandmother solved that problem immediately.

"There she is over there!"

Trixie turned her head in the direction that her grandmother pointed and her eyes fell on a girl about her age dressed in a deep purple wrap made up of what she was sure was expensive material that fell all the way to her feet, and on top of her head rested a turban of the same color.

"How do you know that's her grandma? You never even seen her before." Trixie was confused now; how can her grandmother pick the right person out of a crowd of hundreds of people.

"I can tell just by looking at her… she has the same smile as Orin…"whipping the tears from her eyes Anita said "and I can also tell by her eyes. Her godmother said that her eyes would be unmistakable."

Looking up Trixie managed to make eye contact with the girl and her mouth slightly fell open because staring back at her were the deepest color blue eyes that she had ever seen. 'Damn; sista got blue eyes. I wonder how many black chicks can say they come straight out of Africa with blue eyes… all the boys at school will be afta her!' Shaking her thoughts away Trixie walked with her grandmother to the girl. Getting closer to the girl Trixie could get a better look at her from her almond shaped eyes to her perfectly arched brows 'I ain't no lesbian; but the gurl is fine. I guess it must run in the family.' Anita was the first of the three to speak.

"You must be Orianna. You have no idea how much of a pleasure it is to have you with us."

Graciously smiling, Orianna looked at the woman who from this day forth would be her legal guardian.

"Yes; I am. And I to would like to extend my thanks to you for allowing me to live with you Mrs. Carter."

At the end of the girls sentence Trixie was floored. 'Damn this chick speaks as well as grams here. Shit…now I'm really goin to have to watch how I talk.'

"Let me introduce you to your cousin, this is Trisha. You two are about the same age I believe; also in the same grade." Anita said. The two shook hands while Trixie gave an internal moan; she hated it when people used her real name, it sounded too formal.

"You can call me Trixie all my friends do."

Orianna couldn't help but smile at that. It was good to know that the other girl would consider her a friend so early on in the relationship. She hadn't had that many friends; actually she hadn't had any except for Akeeda and maybe Adam but thinking about either one of them right know hurt too much so she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and responded.

"Well you can call me Anna…"she leaned farther into Trixie almost as if she were telling her a secret "I really don't like for people to call me by my full name that often. It seems so formal; besides only my elders call me that."

Trixie burst out laughing when she heard her cousin say the very thing she herself was thinking. 'Oh yes me and her will get along nicely. Anita stared at the girls with a wistful smile on her face. She was happy to see that the two of them seemed to be hitting it off nicely and also that Orianna seemed comfortably around them; she couldn't help but think that this new arrangement would work out wonderfully.

"Come on girls let's get Orianna bags and head back home." Anita called out to them.

The two had finally stopped laughing and followed Anita to luggage claim all the while Orianna was thinking that she may be able to like leaving here in America after all and that she may finally be able to find some happiness even though her godmother had left.

To be continued...


	3. Culture Shock

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue.

'In thought'

"Outspoken words"

Culture Shock:

New York City was nothing like anything Orianna had ever seen before. The entire ride back to Anita's home Orianna kept her faced plastered to the window; looking out at tall buildings, more cars than she had ever seen in her life and a multitude of people that came in many shapes and colors. It was like stepping into another world coming here; the most technological piece of equipment she has ever seen was a cigarette lighter and that wasn't very advanced at all.

While she gazed out the window with a look of aw on her face, Anita would still a few glances in her direction. She knew that this must be a huge shock for the girl. Coming from a place where everything was simple to a place where even the most simplest task is complex would leave anybody a little shell-shocked, but she knew that the girl could handle it. Pulling up to the brown stone that would be Orianna's new home the three retrieved Orianna's bag from the trunk and went inside.

"Well… this is it. Your new home; I know it's a little different than what you're used to but I hope you can one day call it home." Anita watched as the young woman walked around the room still a little taken aback by the new place. Once Orianna had made a full circle around the living room she turned to Anita and Trixie with a smile on her face.

"You have a lovely home. It is so much bigger than my hut back in Africa; you could fit at least two of my huts in this one room." Orianna was amazed at how much space there was in this single house.

Trixie looked at her with a confused face. 'I didn't know people actually still lived like that. It's hard to believe that even in the 21st century there are still people living in huts.' Anita walked over to Orianna and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Trixie will show you to your room while I get diner started." Anita told her, as she made her way into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Nodding her head in understanding Orianna followed Trixie upstairs to her 'new room'. If N'Dare thought the downstairs living room was something to marvel at; stepping into the room that had been designated as her was a true work of art. The wall was a soft cream colored brown that complimented the mahogany colored hard wood floors and the ceiling was painted a deep midnight blue that was reminiscent of the night sky. There was a queen size four poster bed with a sheer curtain the same color as the ceiling daintily draped around it giving it a romantic finishing touch.

"I-Is all this for me? I-I don't know what to say… its beautiful." Orianna walked over to the bed and pushed back the sheer curtain and noticed that the comforter was the same midnight blue color as the ceiling with a gold sheet and pillow cases.

"Yeah, I chose the colors and everything. Had it been up to Grams you would've had a big pink room with lil teddy bears all over the place, and I don't know about you but pink is my least favorite color."

"Well I guess I'm in your debt because it is not my most favorite color either… I can't believe this is all for me. I have never had my own room and defiantly not this big."

"Did you really leave in a hut? Not to be insensitive or anything; it just didn't know people really still lived like that." Orianna gave her a smile of understanding.

"Yes I did. Not too many people know the true plight of Africa. It's nothing like here in America; people are starving there. My mother… I mean Akeeda and I; we didn't have the most lavish of homes but she always made sure that I wanted for nothing." Trixie noticed the sad look in her cousin's eyes so she changed the subject.

"So did you have a boyfriend back home; with your looks you should have been beating the off with a stick." Orianna blushed at the comment.

"Well I didn't have a boyfriend but there was this one guy in my village who I somewhat…"

"Ohh gurl tell me; was he fine? I always wanted to know if tha brothers in Africa were fine."

"I-I don't really know. I didn't get to spend a lot of time around other people that often. I had…umm… duties to uphold." Trixie stared at her for a moment.

'What kind of duties does a 16 year old gurl have to perform in a small village in Africa?' Looking at her clothes for the second time that day Trixie could not keep her mouth close.

"What's up with the clothes? I know you gotta be hot in that thing and the turban…" Trixie began to reach up and remove said turban from Orianna's head when the other girls hand shot out to grab her by the wrist.

"NO! I-I mean; please… I don't like to remove my turban… I have a condition." Trixie looked a little surprised by the others girl's reaction but before she could get a word out she heard her grandmother's voice.

"GIRLS; DINERS READY; HURRY BEFORE IT GETS COLD." Orianna looked at Trixie with an apologetic smile.

"Let's go to diner shall we… and I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just that I have issues when it comes to my hair and I honestly don't feel comfortable enough to share them at this moment."

"It's cool cuz, I ain't gone force you at take it off. Just whenever you ready to talk I'm right here." The two made their way down stairs to the kitchen and sat down to have their first meal together as a family.

* * *

The following morning all the occupants of the house sat down for breakfast. It was a normal thing for Anita to be up this early for work, and Orianna was used to being up before sunrise but Trixie on the other hand looked a hot mess. She hadn't gotten up this early since the last day of school and in all honesty she wasn't planning on resuming her early morning schedule for at least another two weeks.

"Mornin' ya'll… man I ain't seen the sun like this in months." Trixie said with a yawn before taking her seat next to Orianna.

"What have I told you about grammar young lady? I do not want you corrupting your cousin with that street talk." Trixie made a face while her grandmother wasn't looking and Orianna giggled.

"It's okay… there were a few kids in my village who had relative in the nearby city that they would visit and when they returned they were; how do you say… Americanized… I consider any form language to be unique to its culture. And 'street language is just as important and any other; because it defined not only a culture but a generation. I would love to better understand it."

Finally Trixie thought that she had somebody in this house that would agree with her on her choice of words. "Yeah; you see grandma… the way I speak defines me and I don't see why I should have to sacrifice who I am just to appease other people, aint I good enough as I am?"

"Surely you know that I'm not trying to say that you are not good enough. I just wish you could show the world that you were taught the English language at some point in your life…" Anita looked over to Orianna with a complacent look. "You are very articulate my dear. Did your god mother teach you English?" swallowing her food before speaking Orianna answered as clearly as possible.

"Yes she did. Mom always said that I should have a better understanding of other cultures; she said that I would appreciate it in the long run. She was so dedicated to that goal that she even taught me different languages. As of right now I am fluent in: Swahili, French, Spanish, Italian, Cantonese, Greek and of course English; so I don't think adding 'street' will by that damaging." After Orianna read of her viurtual 'grocery' list of languages both Trixie and Anita had to fight hard to hold their mouths closed.

"Damn gurl."

"TRIXIE!" Anita gave her granddaughter a stern look. "I must admit that is very impressive of you to have mastered that many languages in your short life. Your god mother must have been a wonderful teacher." A melancholy look came across Orianna's face at the mention of her god mother; some wound still hurt even with the passage of time.

"She was… Akeeda taught me everything I know. She raised me as her own flesh and blood; in many ways she was the best parent I could ask for." Giving her cousin a sympathic look Trixie asked.

"What happen to your real mom… I mean did she die or…"

"I don't think she would like to talk about that right now Trisha. Maybe we should just drop the subject." Orianna snapped out of her sullen mood.

"NO-No it's alright; she can ask. To be honest I don't know much of my real mother. Akeeda always was a little hesitant on that subject; but she would always tell me that my mother loved me would all her heart and that nothing could ever change that. And yes she did die… when I was a little girl Akeeda said that my mother was lost to me in order to save my life."

The room fell silent as Orianna words sunk in on Anita and Trixie. Anita knew that the girl's real mother had passed away; Akeeda had told her in one of the many letters the sent between one another. But she had no idea that she had died trying to save her daughter's life. Looking at her watch Anita blanched.

"Look at the time; I'm going to be late for work. Orianna; sweetie Trixie will show you around town while I'm at work. And Trixie I expect you to be on your best behavior; that means not taking her to any outlandish places… is that clear?" Trixie gave her grandmother a mock hurt look.

"Aw now that hurt grams. You know I aint..uhh… I won't do anything like that. I call Spud and Jake and they can even be out body guards." While Anita went to get her purse and car keys she continued to talk to Trixie.

"Oh for heaven's sake even with another girl here you're still going to spend a majority of your time with boys. I guess that's fine just don't get into any trouble… Bye girls."

"BYE" both said in unison. When there heard the front door close Orianna faced Trixie.

"Why will we need a potato for protection?" Trixie burst out laughing at the serious expression on the other girl's face; after she managed to get her laughing under control she answered Orianna with a slight chuckle to her voice.

"Not a potato… Spud; he's my boyfriend; It's just a nickname we call him. Another friend of mind is comin' to; his name's Jake. They both real cool so you aint gotta worry bout nothin'." Orianna followed Trixie upstairs to get her money.

"Ohh; so what are we going to do today. I always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, oh and the Museum. I would love to see those things." After getting what she came up for and her phone Trixie turned to her cousin with a huge smile.

"All that's fine an' good and all, but today I'm taking you shopping. Grams gave me some money to take you to get some new clothes and I plan on makin' the best of it. One way or another imma get you out of all those clothes and see what kinda body you got underneath." Before she could even protest; Orianna found herself being dragged by the arm and out of the apartment.

* * *

The first stop was to that of Arthur 'Spud' Spudinski; after knocking at the door Trixie began to try and fix her hair and all Orianna could do was smile. When the door finally open the person standing there was not who Trixie thought it would be. Standing at the door was Spud's older sister Amber.

"Oh hey there Trix; how you doing today?" surprised would not be enough to describe how Trixie was feeling.

"Oh my God Amber… I didn't know you were coming. How you been gurl; I miss you." The two came together in an embrace and from the tone of their voices Orianna could tell that these two were somewhat close.

"I miss you too. I just got in this morning; I had to make a visit before school started back up. Had to make sure my little brother was treating you right."

"Gurl please; he wouldn't dare try to do anything other than. Oh this is my cousin Orianna; she just moved here from South Africa."Trixie smiled and laughed. Amber extended her hand to the other girl.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I went to Zimbabwe last semester; what part of South Africa are you from?"

"In a village a few hundred miles for Harare." Leading the two girls into the house Amber continued to ask questions.

"It must be lovely where you're from. Being around so much nature; without the constant annoyance of manmade misshapes." While Orianna and Amber continued their little pow wow Trixie slipped out of the room and made her was to Spud's room. Without knocking she slipped inside; not spotting him anywhere; she figured he was still in the shower. Taking a seat on his bed she began to clean her nails while she waited for her boyfriend to come in. Only a couple of minutes went by before Spud came in; clad only in a white towel that hung loosely on his waist.

"Trixie! What are you doin' up here? I didn't even know you were comin'; I thought you had to show your cousin around." Trixie rose from the bed with a seductive gleam in her eye.

"Aw baby; you don't want me here? I'm hurt… I thought that we could spend a lil quality time together… but I guess if you want I can leave." Before she could even make it to the door Spud has his arm wrapped tightly around her thin waist.

"I didn't mean it like that baby. Of course I want you here; you just took me by surprise that's all." Bringing his lips down; Spud began to give little teasing pecks on Trixie's mouth. "If I knew you were comin' I wouldn't have even worn the towel." He whispered softly against her lips.

Trixie giggle turned into soft moans as Spud started to trail butterfly kiss down her neck, while he slipped his hands under her t-shirt. Spud began to lead her to his bed and once they reached it he laid her down gently. Still kissing her on her neck Spud brought her leg to rest on his hip so that he was nestled in between Trixie's legs. Their little petting session began to grown more intense as Trixie undid the loose knot on Spud's towel causing it to slip off his waist and on to the floor. Just as Spud was undoing her shirt the door to his room was opened.

"Hey Trix you up here… OH MY GOD!" Amber yelled as she spotted her little brother mounting his girlfriend with no clothes on. Spud bolted off the bed and stood a few inches away with a shocked expression on his face, until he looked down to notice that he didn't have anything on. He immediately ran into his adjoining bathroom at get his cloths. Trixie also stood as soon as Spud moved away with a shy look across her features.

"Hey yall…uh we didn't hear yall come in." Trixie mumbled, her cheeks stained red.

"No; I suppose you guys didn't. You two were too busy practically having sex to notice anything." Spud emerged from his bathroom clothed in a white t-shirt and jeans.

"Well if you bothered to knock this wouldn't have been an issue." Finally looking behind his sister Spud notice that someone was standing there, following his line of sight Trixie noticed what he was looking at.

"Oh Spud; honey this is my cousin Orianna. Orianna this is my boyfriend Spud." Walking over, Spud shook the girl's hand. He immediately noticed that the girl had the bluest eyes he had ever seen , she also had a really pretty face that he could detect just a hint of red from the blush that appeared there from her being part of walking in on him and Trixie.

"What a way for us to meet; huh." Spud said with while laughing slightly.

"Indeed. I'm so sorry for barging in on the two of you." with a know smirk, and slightly raised eyebrow.

"No; its not your fault that my sister doesn't have any manners and she just walks into people's rooms without even knockin'." Amber just stared at him with.

"Like you pay any bills around here Arthur, I don't have to knock ; as long as mom is gone I'm in charge and you better believe that no one will be having sex in this house while I'm here." The two just stared off at one another until the tension in the room was almost pliable. Sensing the mounting anger in the room Orianna thought it would be best if she and Trixie excused themselves.

"Ummm… Trixie could you show me to the restroom please." Orianna broke the silence that had fallen over the group.

Looking between brother and sister, Trixie was about to tell Amber that it wasn't Spud's fault and that she was the one to get things started; until she heard Orianna ask could she show her to the restroom. Looking over in her cousin's direction she was able to tell how uncomfortable she was in this situation, so she decided to let Spud handle things with Amber as he saw fit while she took her cousin to another room. Once the two girls were out of the room Amber turned back to her little brother.

"Tell me you two weren't going to actually have sex with me and another guest in the house?!" before he could even respond she continued her rant. "Were you even thinking Arthur? Were you even going to use protection or…"

"NO! alright; we weren't gonna do anything, especially not with you in the house. And for your information we do use protection… we just got caught up in the moment." At his words Amber visibly relaxed.

"Don't get me wrong; I like Trixie a lot. I just don't want to see you two get caught up in something you're not ready for." Spud went over to the foot of his bed and began putting on his shoes.

"Thanks; I really appreciate it, now can I go down stairs; Trixie's waiting for me." Amber stepped aside to allow Spud to exit, once he made it down stairs he found Trixie and her cousin sitting on the couch. He could hear Trixie trying to apologize.

"Gurl I am soooo sorry you had to see that."

"No; its no problem. You and your boyfriend have a relationship; and who would I be to judge you on what you do behind closed doors. As far as I'm concerned it is your business what you and he does." Walking up behind them he caught them by surprise.

"I wish my sister was as smart as you; then maybe she wouldn't be stickin' her nose where it don't belong." Trixie rose from the couch and made her way around it.

"Was she that mad? I should go up there and tell her that it was my idea and…" Spud stopped her from heading back up the stairs before she could make it up two steps.

"You don't have to. It's her problem not ours; like your cousin said what we do behind closed doors is our business. Come on let's go." Spud led the two girls to the front door and down the steps. Once outside the house Spud tried a second time at the introductions.

"We really didn't get ta meet back there. Names Arthur; but you can call me Spud." Orianna gave him a smile as she extended her hand to him.

"And my name is Orianna; but since that is a mouth or in Trixie's words a 'mouf' full; you can call me Anna."

Trixie burst out laughing at Orianna attempt to us slang; with her notable accent the words didn't come out sounding bad, just different then what she was used to hearing. The three continued to walk down the street while Spud talked to Orianna. Trixie could tell by the way he acted around her that Spud could really get along with Anna; and by the way Orianna was laughing and talking to Spud she could see that her cousin was comfortable around him to.

It was really important that her cousin liked her friends; cause if they didn't like each other that would cause major issues later on. Now all she needed to do was get Jake in on the programs and everything would be kosher. After walking for about twenty minutes they found themselves the house of Jake Long. Walking up to the door; Spud rung the bell, Jake came to the door and opened it. He had on a black shit that fit his muscular frame with jeans on classic Nikes.

"What up guys… come in; I just have to finish something in my room an' I'll be ready." Jake turned around without even really noticing that there was another person added to their little clique. Wordlessly they walked into the house while Jake ran upstairs to do whatever it was that he was doing. Trixie led the way to the living room where they all sat down. Footsteps could be heard coming into the living; and Trixie immediately thought it was Jake and how she would yell at him for not speaking to people.

"Dang Jake-boi I know ya mama taught you more manners than that; you didn't even speak to nobody…" but the person standing there was Susan Long.

"You're right; I did raise him to have better manners; but at the moment he is having relationship issues…" Susan nodded her head towards Spud and Trixie and then walked over to Orianna. "Hello my name is Susan Long; Jake's mother."

"Hello ma'am; my name is Orianna Zirtharian. I am Trixie's cousin."

"Well it is a pleasure to meet you. You have a lovely accent; where are you from?" Susan looked to the girl with a genuine smile. It was rare to come across people in New York who were so well mannered. Orianna blushed at the compliment.

"Southern Africa ma'am, Zimbabwe to be exact."

"Please call me Mrs. Long… forgiving me for fawning over you so much; but you have very beautiful eyes."

Orianna's blushed even more if that was possible. Jake soon came bounding down the stairs with a sullen looking in his eyes and walked into the living room and for the first time noticed that someone else was other than Spud and Trixie was in his living room with his mom. Then he remembered that Trixie's cousin was supposed to be here.

"Jacob your friends are here; and I don't remember you introducing this lovely young lady to me before." Susan chastised Jake. Jake began to sputter on his words as he couldn't think of nothing to say.

"Oh that's because He and I never meet. I was just coming over with Trixie… so I'm sure that's why he never mentioned me." Orianna tried slightly to defend him.

"Well he should be more hospitable; and learn to introduce himself to new guess." his mother commented. Trixie stood there with a huge smile on her face thinking how much Jake had coming to him later.

"That's what I'm saying Mrs. L. He just let us in and didn't even bother ta say nothing other than he was doing something in his room." Before his mom could say anything else Jake came farther into the room.

"Sup guys…" then he looked towards the new person in the room. "And I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. Hi my name Jake."

"Orianna"

After the introductions were finished they headed out the door and down the street. It was a sunny day, perfect weather for being outside.

"So where are we goin'" Jake asked.

"I'm takin' my gurl Anna here to the mall to get her some new clothes and you two have the pleasure of comin'." Both Spud and Jake rolled their eyes.

"Aww; come on baby. You normally take forever when you go to the mall, and no offense to you Anna but I wanna spend my life in the mall." Spud whinned, he really didn't want to spend the better part of his day in a mall.

Orianna looked at Trixie with a half grin on her face.

"Now I'm not sure if I want to go to this mall of yours. Besides they do not have to come if they don't wish to; we can go another time." Trixie shot a heated glare at her boyfriend and best friend. How dare they try to skip out on Anna's first day out in New York.

"Naw gurl it's cool they don't mind goin' do yall?" Trixie gave them a look that told them that they better agree with whatever she said. Jake swallowed hard and gave a sideward glance to Spud; seeing that he would get no help from him, and not trying to outrun Trixie's wrath he just sighed heavily.

"Sure we do… I need to pick something up for Rose for when she got back anyway."

Trixie gave him a bright smile as they continued to walk down the street.

"If you don't mind me asking; who is Rose?" Orianna was curious as to who the person was. She really didn't know anyone there, and was looking forward to meeting new people.

"Oh she's my girlfr-"

"Just Jake's lil girlfriend. Hey dude what is up with you two anyway; when she comin' home?" Jake looked at Spud with a sour look on his face. He heard the teasing tone in his voice when he said the word 'girlfriend'.

"Lay off Spudinski… I'm havin' a hard enough time dealin' wit this on my own." Spud noticed the serious look on Jake's face and decided to let the subject die. It took them a long while to get the mall; traffic was heavy like every other day her in New York. Once they arrived got inside Trixie started dragging Orianna to every store she could think of that had clothes that would looking good on her.

"We gon' try and find something 'street chic' cause I know you don't wanna be some prissy lil uptown girl, but at the same time we don't want you to look like trash." Finally Trixie made it to the store she was looking for; Urban Planet. The store had clothing from every urban designer from Baby Phat, Apple Bottom, Dereon.

"We have got to get ya some Apple Bottoms; Ohh and that Shirt, you have got to get that."

"Trixie I never wore pants before; in my home it wasn't acceptable for a woman to show that much skin."Orianna looked at her skeptically.

"Well you in America; and it like a requirement here. Come on you won't be showin' that much skin; like I said you I aint gon' let my cousin look like no hoe."

Sighing Orianna decided to just go with the flow and whatever she didn't like she just wouldn't get. Jake and Spud decided to just set down; they knew that going shopping with Trixie would last a lifetime. After about two hours in the store Trixie pick out at least eight outfits, also enough regular t-shirts, shorts, skirts, shoes, and pants to stock at least two closets.

"I want you to try this one on before we leave."

Trixie handed her the outfit and shoved her into the dressing room; a few minutes later Anna stepped out of the dressing room and jaws dropped. It was a simple outfit just a pair of Dereon jeans that clung to her legs and fell to her high heel pointed shoes. The shirt was white and made of linen with long sleeves and a small amount of lace on the cuffs; the neck line did plunge to the upper part of her stomach; but even Orianna had to admit that she looked damn good in the outfit. The black hair wrap she put on that morning went well with the belt with the Dereon logo; the only piece of jewelry she had on was the necklace with the star and crescent moon pendent that Akeeda said was given to her by her mother. Trixie walked over to her cousin with a surprised smile on her face.

'The girl walks around actin' like she don't wanna wear anythin' but that wrap; but look at that body!' Trixie made her way around Anna inspecting her as she went; soon Anna started to grow uncomfortable.

"What? It doesn't look good on me does it… I'm going take it off." Before she could even turn around Trixie grabbed her by the arm.

"Don't you dare… gurl you look too damn fine for ya own good. I didn't even know you had a body like that; you put the most famous model to shame; where did you get that necklace its beautiful… is it real?"

"It was given to me by my mother when I was a baby… its one of the few things that I have to remind me of her… and yes it is real." Orianna looked down at her necklace with a soft smile. Trixie gave her a low whistle.

"Well damn; it goes with the outfit and you look sexy as hell don't she guys?"

They both stared at Anna with wide eyes; Trixie was right about one thing; the girl did have a body. The shirt loosely hugged her generous breast while the tight pants made her shapely legs even more defined. The shoes added on a inch to her already tall 5'9''. Spud thought it would be wise to just give a general compliment; it wouldn't look good if he started hitting on his girlfriend's cousin.

"Yeah; Anna it looks great! Huh Jake?" Jake sat there with his eyes glued on the girl in front of him; true he did have a girl it still didn't mean that he couldn't look, and he sure as hell would look. Orianna looked towards Jake and caught his eye; the look she saw in them made her blush before calling out to him.

"Jake… what do you think?" Snapping out of his dazed Jake gave her a lopsided smile.

"Oh I'm sorry I was thinkin'… yeah the outfit looks good on ya. Hey you guys I'm goin' go pick of Rose's gift yall comin'?".

After paying for Anna's clothes they followed Jake to a jewelry store to pick up Rose birthday gift. She and Jake didn't get to spend her birthday together because she was overseas with her parents; so he had a bracelet made for her with and inscription on the back. Now with all their shopping done the friends made their way home; Trixie and Anna were dropped off first; Trixie saying that she wanted to be home before her grandmother did.

Spud and Jake walked home from her house; after saying goodbye to Spud Jake walked home alone. He started to think about his and Rose's relationship and how it seemed to be going from bad to worse. The phone call they had today left him emotionally drained; he asked her when she would be getting back home and that he wanted to spend some quality time with her before school stated. She told Jake that she and her family had been back in the States since yesterday and the only reason she didn't call him was because they were visiting family. At that point he felt as if she had punched him in the gut.

'Why wouldn't she call me? Even if she was visitin' her fam; she still could have called.'

Making his way into his house he stared to think that maybe him and Rose wasn't meant to be together. He wanted a girl that would be there for him, that would comfort him when he was at his lowest point; and while Trixie was there to help him, especially with his Am Drag business, she wasn't his girlfriend. Was there any girl that could be there for him and only him? Laughing softly he began to think about earlier that day and his mind drifted to Trixie's fine ass cousin maybe if things were different he would ask her out.

"You're home sweetie. Did you get what you needed?" Jake looked up to see his mother in the living room.

"Yea mom." Susan stood up from the couch and walked over to Jake with a smile on her face that held more secrets that she was willing to let go at that point.

"Trixie's cousin is a really pretty girl." Jake stared at her with a confused look.

"She aight…" Susan just laughed.

"Sure she is Jake… go wash up. Your father should be home soon and diners almost ready." With that his mother left them room and went into the kitchen. He stood there looking at the doorway his mom just left through wondering what their little conversation meant, deciding that it wasn't that important Jake went up stairs to get ready for diner.

To be continued…


	4. Getting to know you

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

**A/N: Hey there all my faithful little readers! Sorry I haven't updated this story in awhile; it wasn't my fault I swear! Oh who am I kidding I have been a little lazy lately; but hopefully with this post it will get me back in the groove. It's been kinda hard lately due to work and school starting up soon (man I am starting to hate college). This and my other story Of Mutants and Benders are my babies and I truly try my best to make every chapter worth the readers wild and I hope I don't fall below any of your expectations. Also I don't wanna seem as though I am whoring for reviews; but in all honesty people they really tend to keep my juices flowing and whenever I get a new review it always gives me the want and yearning to write another chapter and make it even better than the one before it. And as a final remark I would like to ask the readers of this story to help support my other story **_**Of Mutants and Benders **_**I know it may not be an American Dragon fic but still I ask this favor of you. I don't want either one of my stories to simply fall into oblivion and never be completed or unnoticed so can you please help a writer out?! Thanks again for all those who have read and reviewed thus far; that would include: YFWE, Mr. Average, Anonymous 666, Eyes on You, and last but certainly not least archlight 5487 you guys rock!!**

**_Getting to Know You_**

The expression is _'The early bird catches the worm'_. Well who ever came up with that stupid phrase sure as Hell never meet Trixie Carter; early mornings were never her thing and today wouldn't be any different. Beside it was pretty hard to drag yourself out of bed before noon when you spent the whole night trying to convince your boyfriend that he shouldn't try and take all the blame on being caught in a very intimate position by his older sister. She had tried for over four hours to convince Spud that she should try and explain to Amber that she had a hand in what happened; but he was dead set on leaving things exactly the way they were.

To him it was none of Amber's business what they were about to do and that she should stay out of his personal business. Shaking her head Trixie opened her eyes and looked out her window. She could tell by looking at the sun that it was well pass twelve and was a little surprised that her grandmother hadn't come in and started yelling; but she decided to just count her blessings and dragged herself out of bed. Yawing Trixie made her way to the bathroom that she was now sharing with Orianna down the hall; all she needed was a nice hot shower to relax her nerves and to wake up.

After taking her shower Trixie headed down stair to have a late breakfast, or lunch at this point when she spotted Anna sitting on the couch reading a book. There was something a little different about her cousin that Trixie couldn't quiet put her finger on; until she finally looked at her as a whole. Anna was sitting on the plush burgundy couch with her legs drawing up underneath her wearing a rather simple summer dress; but on her she made the thing look like it belonged on a runway in Paris.

She still had her ever present hair wrap; but even that couldn't take away from the simple elegance of the young woman sitting across from her. Finally bringing her attention away from the book that Anita had given her before she had left for work this afternoon; Anna spotted Trixie staring at her with an almost half asleep expression.

"Well good morning. I thought you would sleep the whole day away."Anna commented with a slight chuckle.

Trixie simply gave the girl a smirk while she made her way into the kitchen.

"I had a pretty rough night. That's a nice dress you got on; I don't remember you gettin' that when we left the mall yesterday."

"Oh… well your grandmother seen the clothes that you helped me pick out, and she said while they were flattering I would still need more casual and sensible clothing rather than sensual." Orianna said while trying to hold back the laugh that threatening to spill over due to the image of seeing Anita's eyes almost bug out at the outfits Trixie helped her pick.

Trixie simply laughed; she knew that her grandmother wouldn't be too happy about those types of clothing. Trixie had a hard enough time trying to get her grandmother to let her out of the house wearing her clothes; now she would have to worry about her granddaughter corrupting her great niece.

"I kinda figured grams would say somethin' like that. Personally I still can't believe she let me take you clothes shoppin' at all. I thought she would rather do that with you."

Anna sat across from Trixie while she ate her late breakfast.

"To be honest; I think she did want to take me. But I got the impression that she wanted for you and me to spend some quality time to get to know one another."

"Yeah I can see that. I guess we should tell her that me and you already cool as cool can be and that she don't need to be tryin' to arrange for us to spend time together."

After listening to Trixie explain the nature of their newly found relationship; Orianna was completely thrown off. She could tell since the very beginning that she and Trixie would someday become close; but she never thought that it would be as easy as this.

"I-I don't know what to say…" Anna said with a slight tremor in her voice.

"What… what's the matter?" Trixie was confused as to why Orianna seemed so emotionally right now.

"No… it's nothing. It's just that I really didn't expect for everyone to take to me so quickly. I mean growing up in my village I never truly had anyone who I could consider a true friend besides Akeeda; and when I lost her I thought that I would be alone for quite some time. But you and Mrs… no Aunt Anita have been nothing but kind to me since the day that I arrived."

Soon the raw emotions of the situation began to overwhelm Anna to where it almost brought her to the verge of crying. Seeing the barely contained tears in her cousin's eye; Trixie shot out of her chair and embraced the other girl in a fierce hug. Trixie never really knew much about the life Anna had back home in Africa; and the thought of the girl not having anybody other than her surrogate mother for support of any kind left her feeling guilty.

She felt guilty because when things got rough between her parents she always had her grandmother to lean on, and when the pressures of home life became too much she always had Spud and Jake to talk to. But Orianna had no one for comfort, no one to go to with her problems and worries other than the woman she called mother, and then to have that taken away from her so suddenly; Trixie couldn't even imaging the pain that must have caused her.

"Even though me and you only met like three days ago, we family; and no matter what happens you will always have me cuz and ain't nothin' will ever change that; you hear me?" With her tear stained face buried in Trixie's shoulder; all Anna could do was nod her head.

After the touching moment in the kitchen the two girls walked into the living room to watch a little TV. This being her first time in America; Anna was full ready to learn everything about the culture that would from now on be her home; and if watching TV until her eyes ached like every other teenager; was what it took for her to better understand the people in this country then so be it. Trixie introduced Anna to a lot of pretty interesting shows; some more awkward than others but still good.

"So… what is the name of this show again?"

"Fear Factor; it's pretty gross I know, but I just loved to see people do stupid things just to get their fifteen minutes of fame and a few bucks."

Orianna watched the screen while barely keeping her stomach down. It was weird how people would go to such lengths for money and to be seen on television.

"Well as much as I would love to continue to watch people ingest cow testicles; I think I would prefer that we go back to the music videos."

"Suit yourself but your gonna miss the best part." Trixie changed the channel before it could show the image of the woman lying in a pool of snakes to that of the BET network. Over the last couple of days Orianna had taken a real liking to the musical aspects of now living in America; and listened to almost every genre but preferred R&B. The two spent the majority of the day hanging out and watching TV until a knock was heard at the front door. Making her way from the couch and to the door Trixie was pleasantly surprised to see her boyfriend and Jake standing there.

"What up baby boi! I wasn't expectin' you hear today." Spud leaned in and gave Trixie a slow teasing kiss on the lips and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I thought I would surprise you."

"Surprise me how? You wait until grams leave and try to take advantage of me." She whispered seductively into Spud's ear.

Jake being not two feet away from the two rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.

"Geez would you two get a room; preferably one that's not in the same house I'm in."

Both Trixie and Spud didn't even seem to notice Jake's comment and continue kissing. Soon Orianna walked into the hallway leading to the front door and was meet with the image of Spud and Trixie kissing.

"Hmmm… and I thought after yesterday that the two of you would be more aware of the ramifications of being caught like that." Anna managed to string just enough sarcasm in her statement to let the other two guilty parties know that she wasn't entirely serious.

Spud broke the kiss first and stared at Orianna with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Man… we just keep meetin' like this huh?"

"I suppose showing any self restraint would be a little to challenging." Orianna said.

Even though Spud just met Anna less than twenty four hours ago he was able to tell that this girl would be one of his very best friends. Since yesterday he took real pride in slightly teasing her so that she would know that he would take to her pretty easily and she seemed more than willing to meet him halfway. Even Trixie had to admit that she hadn't seen two people fall into an easy friendship as Anna and Spud; and while most girls would get jealous that their boyfriend was paying so much attention to another girl; Trixie honestly wouldn't have it any other way. And as testament to their new found friendship Spud calmly walked over towards Orianna with a slight smirk and a wicked gleam in his eye before placing a peck on her left cheek. Anna was so thrown off by the show of affection that she was momentarily stunned.

"Now you don't have to feel so left out Anna." Spud was teasing her again and she was able to snap out of her dazed moment and thought of a plan of retaliation. Easing the shocked look off her face Orianna slowly walked over to Spud and whispered in a slightly threaten and teasing way.

"Try that again and you will lose all uses for those lips Mr. Spudinski." she said teasingly.

At first Spud couldn't tell if the girls was serious or joking until he spotted the playful gleam in her eye and fell into a slightly sheepish laugh along with the other. After everyone calmed down Anna turned her attention to the other guest in the house.

"Hi Jake." This would mark the second or maybe third time that the two of them spoke more than two words to each other; not like either one of them were counting that is.

"Wassup… that's a nice dress ya got ma it brings out your eyes." At first Jake didn't quite understand why Anna's cheek had become slightly darker and why Spud and Trixie fought vainly to cover their laughs, until he thought of what he had just said. Slightly embarrassed; Jake tried to cover up his obvious admiration to what the young woman was wearing. "Uhhh… I didn't mean it like that!" at Orianna's crest fallen face he continued to dig a deeper hole for himself. "No; I mean I did but not like that you know? What I'm tryin' to say is… wait I-I…" Jake lowered his head a defeat and racked his brain for a way to fix the mess his big mouth made; but before he could utter another stupid word Trixie intervene.

"I think its best you just quit while you're ahead baby boi. Besides I think we all know what you meant. So Spud baby; what did you have in mind to surprise me?"

"Well first I planned on takin' you out to eat. Then I was thinkin' a movie and after that maybe a walk through the park."

"Hmmm… that sounds nice." Soon reason began to set in on Trixie as she remembered that her grandmother would be working late tonight which would leave Anna in the house all day by herself; and remembering the conversation the two had no more than thirty minutes ago left her hesitant.

"Oh… umm Spud honey; I don't think today would be a good day. Grams gon' be working late, and I don't wanna leave Anna home by herself like that." Orianna's eyes grew wide with realization of what her cousin was trying to do.

"NO; Trixie you don't have to stay here with me. You and Spud should go out; besides there are only a few more days before school starts and who knows when you two will get any time to spend with each other." Trixie turned to Orianna with a grateful but apprehensive look.

"Are you sure Anna; I mean I don't want you to get lonely here by yourself." Orianna looked at Trixie and tried her best to give the most convincing smile she could muster; even though she really didn't want to stay home by herself, she also wasn't willing to have her cousin miss out on an opportunity to spend some time with her boyfriend.

"Really Trix it's fine; I'm a big girl. You and Spud just have fun… and behave." Trixie encircled the other girl in a hug and thanked her repeatedly and promised to make it up to her; soon Trixie ran up stairs to get her purse and phone. Meanwhile Jake was looking between the two girls and wondering what he could do to help the situation. Being Spud and Trixie's best friend he wanted for them to get to spend some quality time, but at the same time he really didn't want to go home and wallow in his own self piety over his relationship with Rose. Soon an idea came to his mind that would not only help out Trixie and Spud, but him and Anna as well.

"Hey Orianna; how about you and me go grab somethin' to eat. That way you won't have to stay in the house and Trix won't feel bad about leavin' you home alone."

Trixie had just begun to descend the stairs when she heard Jake talking.

"Yeah gurl; I think that's a great idea. It will give you a chance to see where everythin' is; Jake could even show you the school."

"Oh… if you don't have anything else planned Jake; then I would love to!" Orianna was maybe a little too enthusiastic about going out and especially with Jake. She had to admit that since she saw him, she was a little attracted to him. Maybe it had a lot to do with his looks; she didn't see a lot of people in Africa who had Asian ancestry. But in truth there was something more to him than just his looks; while he was handsome to her, he also had this mysterious quality about him. His eyes always seemed to hold this dark and powerful but still playful manner about them. Whatever the reason was, Orianna couldn't deny that something about Jake Long really spoke volumes to her.

"Well its settle then. While you and Spud are out playin' kissy face; me and O here are gonna see the town." Anna was a little taken aback by the new nickname that Jake had given her; but like it all the same.

"Alright then; I'll just go upstairs and grab my things and meet you back down here."

"Cool" Trixie grabbed Spud by the arm and started dragging him out the door. "We goin' then since everyone have a plan. Anna imma see you later tonight; and Jake you better bring my cousin home just like ya found her alright baby boi?" Not waiting for Jake to respond, Trixie closed the door and left on her date with Spud.

Once alone in the hallway Jake had time to process what he just done. In everything but words, he just asked another girl out on a date when he was still dating Rose. Even though the two of them had been having serious communication problems over the past few months, it still didn't give him the right to step out on her. Jake shook his head to clear out the raging feelings of guilt; he wasn't stepping out or cheating on Rose; he was just doing a favor for a friend and showing her cousin around town.

There was no harm in that, and if Rose wouldn't be able to understand that then maybe they shouldn't be together. Over the last few days Jake had seriously been considering his and Rose relationship; the two barely spoke over the summer and had started to grow apart. Jake had tried everything imaginable to rekindle the relationship they had in junior high, but nothing seemed to be helping. The more he thought about his love life the more depressed he became, and it was a welcoming distraction to hear someone call out his name.

"Jake…. Are you ready to go?" Looking up Jake saw Anna staring at him with concerned eyes; was his mood really showing that much too where she could see it so visibly on his face? Brining a smile to his face; Jake tried to brighten up the mood.

"Yea everythin' cool; sooo… where do you wanna go first?" Jake was really interested in where she would want to go since this was her first time in New York; and he was more than willing to play tour guide.

"Well you did mention food earlier so I guess we could start with that and then you can show me the rest of the city."

"Well alright then, let's get this show started. I know this great lil restaurant a few blocks from here I think you would really like. Me and Rose would go.." he stopped suddenly; he didn't think it would be cool mentioning his girlfriend right now since he really didn't feel like answering any questions. "Uh… never mind let's just go." Jake led the way out the door while Anna locked it; on the way to the restaurant the two had a really good conversation.

Jake asked her what it was like growing up in Africa and she in turned asked Jake what it was like leaving in New York.

"Leaving here is pretty cool; you meet a lot of different people and stuff but I bet its nothin' like leaving in Africa. You know with all the fresh air and all the wild animals."

Anna laughed at the last comment.

"Well I didn't see that many wild animals. Actually most of the wild game didn't come to close to the village."

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything…"

"No offense taken. So what kind of restaurant is this?"

"A Chinese restaurant; me and my fam eat here all the time."

"You and your what?"

"My fam… you know short for family."

Orianna's cheeks darkened with embarrassment; she couldn't believe how foolish she was to not get that, of course he meant family. Walking into the restaurant; Anna was surpised at the wonderful architecture and atmosphere that the room gave off. Making their way to the podium the two waited to be seated; soon the waiter showed them to their table and quickly returned with two menus for them to look at.

It didn't take them long to decide what to order; Anna had never tried any oriental food before and was excited to try something new. After the waiter took Jake's order he turned to her expectantly; and to the surprise of both Jake and the waiter Orianna had placed her entire order in Cantonese and spoke the language as if she was born to it. The young waiter only stared at her in the beginning; a little thrown off by the young woman's ability to speak his native tongue so fluently; but soon gathered his wits and smile graciously at the girl and informed her in the same language that their order would be right out. Jake simply stared at Anna after the waiter left, not really knowing what to say.

"Wow… I didn't know you could speak another language." Again Orianna's cheeks darkened but this time not out of embarrassment but out of shyness.

"Well you never asked; that's what you get for assuming things." She responded with a coy smile on her face. Jake laughed and nodded his head; it was his own fault that he didn't know that she could speak different languages.

"Well lil miss sassy; what other languages do you know."

"Well after that comment I don't think I want to tell you."

Jake gave a little pout of his lips and made his eyes get misty. At first Anna thought that maybe she went a little too far with that last comment and was about to apologize to Jake before he started to grin widely at the look on her face. Forgetting that she had only known this boy for two days Anna reached over the table and playfully slapped him and the arm.

"Jake Long that wasn't funny. You really made me think that I had hurt your feelings." The sincerity in her voice only made Jake laugh even more, and after a while Anna was joining in. After gaining his breath Jake cleared his thought and asked her the same question again.

"Well besides English and Cantonese I also speak: Swahili, French, Spanish, Italian, and Greek. With Swahili being my native tongue." Just as before with Trixie and Anita she got the same reaction.

"Damn gurl, who are you; the living breathing version of the Rosetta Stone program?"

"I'm not entirely sure what that is; but I will assume it's a compliment."

Soon their food arrived and the two began to eat. During the course of their meal Jake and Orianna talked about the casual things that people who just meet would talk about. He asked her about any other family she had besides Trixie and her grandmother; while she asked him the same question. Only once did the topic of significant others ever pop up in the conversation and neither one of them dwelled on the topic for long.

After awhile Jake began to see a lot of good qualities in Anna; she was smart as Hell and once you got to know her she was really funny. She seemed like the person to be a loyal friend and great asset to any group. And in turn she found Jake to be very comical. Underneath all that supposed charm and 'playa status' beats the heart of a hopeless romantic; they didn't spend much time on the subject of girlfriends but from what she heard Anna was able to tell that all he really wanted was someone there for him. After eating the two got up to pay the bill; and while Jake insisted on paying Anna took the time to go into the washroom and wash her hands. While she was gone the same waiter that served them walked up to Jake.

"Dude; you have a pretty awesome girlfriend. Better be careful, someone might take her." Just as quickly as the young man had come; he walked away. Jake didn't even get a chance to explain that they weren't together, but soon figured that it didn't matter what that guy thought anyway.

"Are you ready to go?"

He was slightly surprised at hearing Anna smooth sultry voice, and quickly turned around.

"Yeah! Where to next?" Orianna looked at she suspiciously then rolled her eyes in a playful manner; as long as she would live she would never fully understand boys.

"How about Central Park; I always wanted to go there ever since I was little."

"Central Park it is then."

They were soon to the park, and the two continued to exchange little tidbits of information. Jake told her about school here in New York and advised her on what teachers to avoid; it turned out that Rotwood was so dedicated to exposing Jake to the world that he transferred to the high school just so he could continue spying on him. They had made a circuit around the park at least twice before Jake noticed the time; the sun was setting and he really needed to get home but knew that Trixie and Spud would be nowhere close to finishing their date, so he opted for the next best solution.

"It's getting kinda late for us to be walking outside…"

Orianna looked directly into Jake's eye and completely misunderstood what he meant by that remark; she assumed that he was getting ready to take her back home and she had no idea if Trixie had even made it back yet. Before she could try and give some lame attempt at being okay about being dropped home Jake cut her off.

"Would you like to come chill to my house? I can almost guarantee that Trix and Spud are not home yet and I wouldn't want you home all by your lonesome." Hearing the teasing tone in his voice Anna was able to relax; she wouldn't be going home to an empty house. Besides she was beginning to enjoy Jake's company.

When they arrived a Jake's home he was a little anxious; has mom had already teased him once about Anna and he didn't want his dad to embarrass him or Haley to say something irritating. Walking up to his front door; Jake began to have second thoughts; maybe this wasn't the best plan to bring a girl who wasn't his girlfriend into his home.

"You know what O, how about we go see a movie instead. They have this real tight action movie out and…" Before he could pull Anna away from the door it was opened to reveal Jake's mom.

"Are you going to just stand out here all night Jacob, or are you going to come in? Oh I didn't know you had company… It's nice to meet you again Orianna; please come in."

Jake didn't even get a chance to try and wiesel his way out of going into his house. He knew good and well that the front porch was visible from the living room and that his mom no doubt seen the two of them out there and took it upon herself to invite Anna inside. He could tell that this would be an extremely long night; with his head hung in defeat he followed his mother and Orianna into the house and prayed to God that his family wouldn't totally embarrass him.

Susan led Anna into the nearby living and to Jake complete and utter surprise; not only was his dad and sister there but Fu Dog and his grandfather Lao Shi as well, not he knew this was going to be a long day.

"Honey, everyone this is Orianna. She is Trixie's cousin who just moved her from Africa and Jake friend."

Jake groaned inaudibly at his mom saying that she was Jake 'Friend'. Jake's father was the first to step up to Anna.

"Well my wife wasn't kidding when she said you were a looker my name is Jonathan Jake's father… Jakey boy you sure can pick 'em."

Anna gave an amused chuckle at Jake's father; he was somewhat like Jake; just without the façade of being a player. Jake on the other hand was almost as red as a tomato; he knew his dad was say something embarrassing, but he had no idea he would be that off base.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Everyone in the room immediately turned and looked at Jake. Lao Shi walked over to the young woman an introduced himself.

"I am Lao Shi, Jake's grandfather. It is a pleasure to meet you Orianna."

"The pleasure is all mine sir." When the two shook hands Lao Shi felt a great surge run though him; he was entirely sure what caused it but for some reason he suspected that it came from the girl herself.

Haley who had gotten slightly taller in the past few years was next to introduce herself.

"I'm Haley; Mr. Politeness over there sister. I'll apologize in advanced for the way he acts; sometime I don't even think he knows the meaning of the word manners."

"Ha ha really funny Haley; maybe we should also mention you don't know the meaning of the word annoying either." Before the two could go into a full blown argument Anna noticed the small dog setting by the couch.

"What a beautiful dog; what's his name."

"His name is Fu Dog; he has been in my company for as long as I can remember." Lao Shi informed.

Walking over Anna kneeled in front of the dog and began to gently scratch behind his ear and rub his chin.

"He is so adorable." Fu began to tap his hind feet and wag his small tale; whoever this new girl that Jake had brought home he was sure hoping that she would come around more often. Orianna began to laugh slightly at how much the dog was enjoying her scratch his ear; it almost sounded as if he were speaking incoherent words; he was so happy.

"Orianna would you like to join us for diner; there is more than enough to go around."

"Oh… um I think its time for me to be getting home. I've had Jake showing me around town all day; I wouldn't want to take up anymore of his time."

"It's no problem O; I don't mind."

Anna was seriously considering staying over before she looked at her watch; it was getting late and she wanted to make it home before her Aunt Anita did.

"Maybe some other time, I really should be going." Noticing that this was actually a break for him and now he wouldn't be ashamed to death Jake offered to walk her home. Jonathan and Susan followed them to the door to say their goodbyes.

"Come back anytime sweetheart; it's always nice to see you."

"Yeah and next time you'll have to stay longer so we can talk more beyond just a simple hello and goodbye."

Anna graciously smiled that the two adult.

"I will; and it was nice seeing you again Mrs. Long and nice meeting you Mr. Long. Goodnight."

Waving goodbye Orianna met Jake at the bottom of the steps and the two began to walk in the direction of Anna home. At first Jake was a little to embarrassed to say anything on the walk to her house, but luckily he didn't have to.

"You have a wonderful family Jake."

"Yea real wonderful."

Anna was able to detect the sarcasm in his voice when he said that a chuckled slightly at him.

"Oh come on Jake; why are you so ashamed of what happened tonight. I found it rather fun."

Jake shook his head with a slight smile on his face; in actuality he really wasn't upset, he had long since accepted that sometime his family could be weird and just learned to live with it.

"I wanna apologize for what my dad said; sometimes he doesn't always think before he says things."

At first Anna had no clue what he was talking about; until she remember that Jake's father thought they were a couple. She had to admit she was a little embarrassed about it at first but soon found it to be a compliment.

"Don't be; honestly I was flattered that he said something like that."

Jake stared at her completely transfixed by her. Looking closely he was able to tell that she was blushing and for some reason that made his ego grow two sizes. He couldn't completely understand; but for something about this girl made him feel so at ease that he forgot that he hadn't know her all that long. He used to feel like this with Rose but the dynamics of their relationship had fundamentally changed over the short course of two months. Without really thinking Jake nudged her with his shoulder and began to tease her.

"O is you blushing? Aww what… I guess my playa status was too much for ya huh?"

Anna threw him a mock glare.

"Please Jacob; the day you become to much for me to handle is the day Hell freezes over." Normally when someone other than his mother used his full name it kinda irked him; but hearing her say it and for her to sting that a little bit of sarcasm and her accent made a shiver run down his spine. It didn't take them long to reach her home and when they did she began to walk up the stairs and before she reached the door she turned her head to speak to Jake over her shoulder.

"It was very sweet for you to take me out today Jacob. And I guess I'll see you later."

There was a look in her eyes that completely took Jake's breath away; it was sexual in the least but there was something behind those beautiful blue eyes that were saying more than he understood at that moment. All he could manage was a very weak goodbye; Anna giggled at his response and soon walked inside her home. Making his way back towards his own house; Jake couldn't whip the smile off his face.

The day had gone so good that he couldn't recall every being this happy in a long time. He thought that nothing could bring down his high; that is until his phone vibrated and a text massage came through, it was from Rose and it only had one simple sentence; one that left him with a hollowing pit in his stomach. 'We need to talk.'

To Be Continued.


	5. Broken Hearts

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, so don't sue

**A/N:** Hiya people! :) I'm trying not to neglect my duties as a writer here on fanfic, so I'm gonna try and update every chance I get. That is, if work and school don't completely take over my life! :( But we'll try and stay positive. Ok, enough of the rambling; let's get to the good stuff by first giving a shout out to all who have reviewed; the list is getting longer :) First, to my very first reviewer **_YWFE_** who, in the beginning, was a very big help to the structure of this story. Now, we go to my second reviewer, **_Mr. Average_**; man you have been such a big help and motivator with this; you're kind words always lift my spirits.

Then there is **_Eyes on you_**; you have made me laugh over your reviews; I like! Then there is the mysterious **_anonymous 666_**, who has also been a real faithful reviewer, not only with this story, but also with my other one _Of Mutants and Benders_. **_Archlight5487_**…your words are truly flattering and I can't tell you enough how humble I am by them. **_Raza-San_**, welcome to the show; and I'm sorry dear; I thought that leaving the chapter with a cliff, as you so eloquently put it :) would add that little extra drama, was I right in doing so? Please somebody tell me hahaha.

And, as for you **_PeterPanLover_**, I will definately be writing more to keep you entertained. Also a big welcome to **_Sirius 11_** and **_Luiz4200_**, And last but certainly not least **_HimeIchigoYuki_**; I thank you for taking the time and fulfilling the request I asked of you. Like I have said before, should you ever need any assistance, please fill free to ask. And I would also like to give a huge thank you to _**ShadowDragon-24**_; words can never truly express how thankful I am that I came across you here on . Over the last few months, you have not only motivated me to continue writing when I thought I should give up, but you have also helped me in ways I could never repay. People you should really give a hand to _ShadowDragon,_ for she was a real help to me. She also assisted with the image of Orianna in her angel wings that I have a link posted to on my author's page; you guy's should check it out.

Also, just too let people know, this story will also be an epic just like my other one, and, as such, I wanted it to have a feel of an epic, so I have commissioned a few artists to do artwork for both my stories. I don't have the art as of yet and, when I do receive them, I will only post them as the story continues so it won't give away what will happen in future chapters. I can honestly say, though, that everything will be explained in due time. I would like for people to know what has been delaying me in this story as well; I made a promise to myself when I decided to take on two stories at one time that I would not let one supersede the other, so whenever I complete a chapter for this story, I start work on the other and vice versa; so there it is.

Also, I will tell you right here and now that this chapter will be kinda long; it won't be boring or anything (at least I hope not) but it will be essential to future chapters. And I know I haven't really been getting to the adventure part of the story yet, but that's only because I really wanted this to have substance, though those chapters are coming and should be here really soon… Dammit, I'm rambling again. Well I think that does it for the reviews, acknowledgments, and general info and now I can get on to actually typing this.

--

_**Broken Hearts**_

Jake didn't even bother to head towards his house anymore; his heart was in his throat and it felt like his stomach had dropped to his butt. He had wanted to talk to Rose face to face for what seemed like forever and now that his opportunity had come, he was nervous. What would he tell her? How would their conversation go? And what would it mean for their relationship? All these questions bombarded his brain to the point that it almost gave him a headache, and, honestly, he didn't really know if they should have this talk tonight.

So many things seemed to be plaguing him right now; that he couldn't even think straight. He made his way to Rose's house, almost in a trance; he didn't even notice when his phone rang with a call from his mom, and, when he finally did look at his phone, he didn't return the call. He knew that when he got home his mom would chew him out; but right now that was so far from his mind. When he finally made it to Rose's he didn't even bother to knock, he simply sent her a text in the same fashion that she sent him.

_'Outside.'_

Jake waited for what seemed like forever for Rose to come out, and all the while he was trying to figure what she could have had to talk to him about. Five minutes after he had sent his message, Rose had stepped out the door to meet him on the stoop, dressed in grey jogging pants and navy blue t-shirt, something that looked out of place on her, since he was so used to seeing her in name brand named clothes. Her blond hair was bound in a loose ponytail, while her face was set in a grim, determined look, and, at that moment, Jake knew that this conversation would definitely not be good.

"Hi Jake..." Rose said with a distant tone to her voice.

"That's all I get… Hi Jake?! I haven't really heard from you all summer, and all you can say when you see me is 'hi Jake'…? I mean, damn Rose what's going on ma?"

Jake was more than a little confused by how things were going.

"Well what else do you want me to say? Do you want me to run into your arms and say that everything is just fine and that I missed you? Cause I'll be honest with you, Jake, that would be a lie."

"Rose… I don't understand! Where is all of this coming from?"

Rose let out an audible sigh and, for the first times since stepping foot outside, let her real emotions show.

"I can't do this anymore Jake! I can't keep pretending things are okay when I know they're not! Do you know why I didn't call you all summer? Cause I wanted, for once, to have a normal life!"

Jake stared at her stunned. Out of all the things he thought could be troubling her, he never would have guessed this.

"What do you mean normal?"

"Us Jake… I'm talking about us. All my life I lived under the thumb of the Huntsman…when other girls were playing with their dolls, I was being trained to hunt and kill magical creatures. Now even with the Huntsman gone, I still can't live a normal life, because I have to worry about if my boyfriend is going to make it home tonight, because he's out on some kind of mission to protect the very same creatures I was trained to kill!"

Listening to Rose count off all the things wrong in her life at the moment, Jake couldn't keep his anger down.

"And what about me…? Do you think this has been easy for me?! To have to constantly worry about your friends and family, to have to put aside having an actual life to defend people who you don't even know, or even knew existed?! Oh and don't forget, to have the girl that you love more than life itself, hunt you down like some animal! You're not the only one who has had to sacrifice here, Rose, so you can't stop with the pity party!"

For a moment, a flicker of pain crossed Rose's face; she knew that her life wasn't easy and she, in no way, blamed Jake for it. It was just hard to put the past behind her, when every time she looked in his face all she saw was a constant reminder of what once was.

"Look Jake, I don't want to argue with you about whose life was harder. All I want is to be happy, and, right now, I can't do that…with you."

That's all it took, that one sentence was the straw that broke the camel's back; if all she wanted was 'normal' then he would give her 'normal'. All this time, Jake was trying to save a doomed relationship and, no matter what he did, nothing would help. Trying to maintain the little bit of pride he had left, Jake slowly backed away from Rose and was at the base of the stairs leading to her front door.

"I understand…you don't have to say anything else. I get it now…you never really loved me, because if you did then you wouldn't fell like this, so now we can both just move on with our lives." The bitterness in Jake's voice was so apparent thae he might as well have cursed her out.

"Jake…"

This was never what Rose wanted; she never wanted him to doubt that, at one point, she truly did love him and thought she would give anything to be with him. All she wanted was for him to understand that what was best for her…for both of them, was for them to spend a little time apart to see if their relationship was what they both really wanted. Without another word, blue swirling flames appeared around Jake's body and, without using his signature battle cry, he was in his dragon form. Spreading his massive wings, Jake shot up into the sky and out of sight.

"Jake wait!" she knew he wouldn't listen or even care that she wasn't finished. Looking around to make sure that no one had seen the young man that was just talking to her, turn into a dragon and fly off into the night, Rose made her way back into her home. She knew that when school started in two days that she would have a lot of people asking why she and Jake were no longer together and she was not looking forward to answering the questions of nosy girls.

--

The next morning, Trixie woke up early enough to make it to breakfast and was greeted with the sight of her grandmother and Orianna at the table.

"Mornin' ya'll!"

"Morning, sweetie."

"Good Morning."

Trixie made her way over to the cabinet to get a bowl and then to the pantry to get a box of cereal.

"So, do you girls have everything you need for school tomorrow?"

"Pretty much," Trixie said with a mouth full of cereal.

"Trisha… manners, please!"

Orianna only smiled at her cousin's antics.

"Well, I still need more school supplies; the list that the school board issued says I'm still in need of a physical education uniform."

Anita fixed her granddaughter with her eyes.

"Didn't you help her find her clothes the other day?"

Trixie at least had the frame of mind to appear guilty at the look her grandmother issued.

"Uhhh… we kinda got a lil' carried away with buyin' her other clothes and by the end, I just forgot. Sorry grams." Rolling her eyes, Anita turned back to Anna.

"Well I'm off today so we can go find you a uniform… and, when I say 'we', I mean all of us. That includes you as well Trisha, so whatever plans you have made, you can cancel them."

"But I was gonna…"

"I don't care. You will spend a little quality time with us. We can make it a girl's day out."

It wasn't that Trixie didn't want to spend time with her grandmother and cousin; it was just that she planned on spending the last day of summer vacation with Spud, and before she knew it she was mumbling under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing… I was just sayin' how much fun this was gonna be."

Anita smiled with triumph, never let it be said that she didn't run things in her house.

"Good, now you two go upstairs and get dressed; then we can leave."

Orianna followed Trixie out of the kitchen, and to the stairs leading to the second floor and their rooms.

"Another late night, seeing as you didn't come home until after midnight; I can only assume that you and Spud had a nice time?" Trixie gave a sly smirk.

"Tha best! Spud took me to this wonderful restaurant. After that, we went to see a movie. I can't ask for a better boyfriend."

"Hmmm…" was Orianna's only response. Listening to Trixie talk about her date with Spud drew memories of her day with Jake. She was a sensible girl, she knew that he was only being nice and taking her out of the house; but a large part of her felt like it was something more.

Jake was so fun to be around and she had felt at complete ease when she was near him. She wasn't naïve enough to call these emotions love; but she could definitely feel an attraction towards Jake Long. Stopping in her tracks, Trixie turned to look to see if Orianna was paying any attention to what she was saying; and looking into her cousin's distant face gave her all the answer she needed, and soon a dawning fell upon her.

"So how was ya date with Jakey-boi yesterday?"

At first Orianna didn't catch on to what Trixie had actually said. So when she thought about it, Anna gave her honest reply.

"Our date was wonderful, he took me… wait a minute; it wasn't a date! We just went eating and nothing more."

"Sure ya did…" Trixie said with an unconvincing laugh, before walking into her room and closing the door. Anna only stared at the recently closed door in complete embarrassment. Had she just admitted to going on a actual date with Jake? Soon, she dismissed the idea; she knew Jake had a girlfriend and that Trixie was probably just trying to tease her.

"It wasn't a date!" she said to Trixie through the door before going to her own room to get dressed.

--

Jake didn't bother to come down stairs for breakfast that morning. He didn't feel like being around his father's abnormally happy attitude or his mother's questions, and he sure as hell didn't fell like hearing Haley's mouth. So when he figured everyone was down stairs eating, he slipped out the front door and made his way down the streets of New York. He still couldn't believe how things ended last night. In only a few hours, his day had went from nice to hell in a handbag.

The bombshell Rose dropped on him left him completely alone; he didn't know where really to turn. For so long he thought he and Rose would be together forever, but she obviously thought differently. At first he thought to go to Spud's house, but soon shot that idea down, since he knew Spud wouldn't be up this early. He couldn't talk to his family, because all they would do is make matters worse and Fu was a no go.

He really wanted a female's perspective on the matter, but the only female he knew of outside of his family was Trixie and he didn't need an 'I told you so' right now. His options were few, if that, and he had all but giving up; until a thought struck him. Who had been the one person that completely got his mind off of his relationship problems by only being with him? Making his way in the opposite direction; Jake felt that today may not be all that bad as he thought.

--

It didn't take him long to make it to his destination, and when he got there, he began to feel a little apprehensive. He didn't know what he was doing, thinking it was ok to ask a girl he had barely known a week, to help him deal with his relationship; but he just couldn't think of anyone else to help. When he was around her he felt so calm and at peace to the point that he forgot about all of his worries; no girl had been able to do that, not even Rose. He had to talk to her… at this point, she was his only relief. Making his way to the door, Jake knocked and waited for the answer. A few seconds had passed before he heard footsteps, and then the door was opened.

"Hello… oh hi Jacob, how can I help you? Oh if you're looking for Trixie, then I'm sorry she just left to visit Arthur; she practically ran out of here once we made it back from town."

"Oh, no ma'am; I was actually wondering if O'… urrr… Orianna was home." At that Anita was stunned, normally when Jacob came over it was often for Trixie; she had no idea Orianna had even met Jake.

"Oh… certainly, come in. Let me see if she is busy." Following the older woman into the front door, Jake watched as she disappeared up the stairs. He had only been to Trixie's grandmother's house a few times, but every time he was there he just couldn't help but look around. The home was almost like something you would see in a 'Home Decorating' magazine, but it still had that 'at home' feel to it. Hearing footsteps coming towards him, Jake turned around and his eyes came in contact with the sparkling azure color of Anna's.

"Hi Jacob." For a minute Jake forgot why he had even came over in the first place, and then it hit him. That was exactly why he had come over, because she had the uncanny ability to make him forget what he was working about.

"Sup O'…"

"Nothing much…" recognizing Jake's agitated demeanor, Anna could see that something was bothering him, and if he chose to come to her to talk then she would be more than willing to assist him. "Jacob… would you like to go for a walk?" taking a deep sigh of relief at the thought of not having to come with some lame excuse to get her out of the house with him, Jake nodded his head.

Today marked the last day of summer before the students would have to go back to school, and Jake was in no hurry to go back. Things would be different this year; he wouldn't have Rose there with him and, honestly, he didn't know how to feel about that. Last year they had spent so much time together, neither one leaving the other's side unless it was to go to a different class. Now, he would be single again, which really wouldn't be all that bad…but, damn, was it going to hurt seeing her.

"Is something wrong?" the question was innocent enough, but Jake could still detect the underlining tone that let him know that she could see that something was bothering him. Deciding to just skip the whole beating around the bush approach, Jake just decided to jump in head first.

"Well yeah… I'm having some real problems right now and I don't really know what I should do."

"Okay… well tell me what the problem is and maybe I can help you figure it out."

"That's just it, I don't know if I should be throwing my problems on you! I mean we barely even know each other and I don't want you to think that I'm some kind of weak dude who can't handle his own problems."

Anna giggled at his comment. True they hadn't known each other very long, but that didn't mean that she would not try and help him if he needed it.

"Please Jacob… You're thinking too much into the matter. If you have a problem and you need someone to talk to, the amount of time you've known them really doesn't matter… You and I are friends right? I mean, I know we haven't known each other that long, but I can consider you my friend. Do you consider me yours?"

The conversation had suddenly turned very serious; he wasn't really expecting for her to come at him like that and he was slightly relieved. She was right; it didn't matter how long they had known each other, and he did consider her a friend.

"Yes…"

"Well you can tell me what's bothering you." Now there was no turning back, he could tell that she wouldn't give up until he told her what was bothering him. Taking a deep breath, Jake prepared himself to bear his soul.

"I've been having this problem…"

"Well we have that part understood… I guess now isn't the time for jokes? I'm sorry, continue."

"You see, me and my girl have been having troubles. She went overseas this summer, and she and I haven't been able to spend any together. I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty mad in the beginning; I just couldn't figure out why she would leave and not try to call me. Well anyways, she just got back home a few days ago and she still hasn't tried to get in contact with me. Then, last night, she texted me; at first, I was happy that she finally called or whatever, but then I got worried. I didn't know what to think; I just had this bad feeling that something was about to happen…"

Orianna looked into Jake's face and noticed its crestfallen expression.

"What happened?"

Jake continued on, not even sure if he could stop the words from coming out even if he wanted to.

"She told me that she couldn't be with me anymore. She said that she wanted to live a normal life, and not have to constantly worry about me."

"What did she mean by that?" Soon Jake realized that he had slipped up, he didn't mean to go that deep into the story. He fumbled with his words, trying to think of a way to cover up his mistake.

"Uhh… I don't know… I think she just didn't want to put up with me."

Anna didn't really believe what he was saying; could this girl honestly dump a guy because she didn't consider their relationship normal? And what did that mean anyway… normal… was it because he was of a different race? Trixie had told her a lot about Rose; some things, she was sure, Trixie only said because she didn't like the girl, but could Rose really be that shallow? Soon, she pushed the thoughts away; she was supposed to be helping Jake with his problems, not contemplating the actions of a girl she didn't even know. Right now, Jake was asking for her support and help to get over this rough patch in his life, and she would do everything to help.

"I don't know how I can help… seeing as I haven't had a lot of relationships, but from what I've heard, it seems as though she is confused right now. Sometimes people just feel as though the decisions they have made aren't really what they want anymore. And I'm sure it's nothing against you, but maybe she just needs some time to decide if she wants to continue on the path set before her. I know you're mad right now, but later you'll see that maybe this was for the best."

Her words sounded nice and all, but Jake just couldn't let go of his anger that easily.

"Yeah but she could have at least been woman enough and tell me a long time ago, instead of leading me on like some chump…I would have never done something like that to her!"

"But she is not you Jacob. You can't hold fault on her simply because she didn't handle the situation like you would've. We are all different and we handle things differently from one another. Tell me… is there something that she has handled in the past that you know, for a fact, that you wouldn't have been able to do?"

Jake thought of the countless things in the past that Rose was able to do that he knew he wouldn't have even bothered with. "Maybe you're right… it's just that I'm so mad right now!"

"And that's ok too; no one can blame you for being angry, but it's what you do with that anger that will define what type of person you are. I was watching this movie with Trixie the other day and one of the actors said this line that really made sense to me. He said 'Sometimes we try to hold onto things that God himself is trying to tear apart' and maybe that's something that was happening in your relationship. Maybe you two have been together for so long that, perhaps, you stayed in the relationship more out of familiarity than love… and maybe I just overstepped my bounds. I didn't mean to place labels on your relationship, I had no right."

Jake recognized the line that she had just recited, it was one of Tyler Perry's movies and, for the first time, he began to see things differently. Maybe he and Rose had been together for so long that they didn't know how to fall out, and all it took for him to realize that was for someone to talk to him in an unbiased and non-judgmental way.

"No-no…it's cool. I asked for your advice and you gave it to me. I-I just didn't really think about it that way. I am mad, but maybe you're right; maybe Rose and I weren't really in love…" Trixie had always told him that he was thinking more with the head below his waist rather than the one above his shoulders, but, damn, he never would have thought that she was right.

"Thanks O'; you really helped me out." Catching Anna off guard, Jake gave her a fierce hug; he knew that she would be able to help him and not give him a hard time about not catching on to the fact that his and Rose's relationship was destined to fail. A little stunned at Jake actions, Orianna slowly wrapped her arms around his back; returning the comfort that he was giving her.

"You're welcome Jacob."

As before, when she said his full name like that, he couldn't stop his reaction. Without even realizing it, he pulled her closer to his chest; and in that brief moment the situation had changed from her giving him support, to him losing himself in the feel of how soft she was. Following suit, Orianna deepened the embrace, before reason crept back into her mind.

_"What are you doing?!" _she couldn't believe she was allowing this to happen. She was supposed to be comforting him, not trying to put the moves on him; he was hurting and confused for goodness sake, why was she doing this?

"Ummm… Jake…" realizing that maybe their hug had gone on far enough; Jake wordlessly pulled back and looked down into Anna's face. He couldn't imagine a few weeks ago that he would actually be finding comfort in someone else other than Rose… well maybe at the very least Trix, but this was different. He didn't feel so alone in this anymore; he didn't fell like everything was falling apart.

"You really did help me out today O'…you have no idea how much." With those words Jake placed a soft kiss on her cheeks and then headed off to his home. For a few minutes, all Orianna did was stand there with her hand to her cheek and a shocked expression on her face. She had just received her first kiss, albeit it wasn't anything immense; just a sweet peck on the cheek, but still, it left her speechless. Trixie came walking down the street, coming from Spud's house, when she came across her cousin standing on the sidewalk looking like a damn mannequin. Walking up to Anna, Trixie began to talk to her.

"Sup cuz… what's crackin'?" Orianna continued to stare out into space and seemed to not even notice Trixie was there. "Uhhh… hello…earth to Anna… damn, girl, what's got you so sprung?" Trixie started waving her hand in Anna's face trying to get her attention, and when that didn't work she resorted to yelling. "ORIANNA!" That got her attention, looking at Trixie, Anna regained her composure.

"What…?"

"You been standing there for God knows how long like a damn statue; what's up with you girl… you trying to see the future?"

"No… I was just thinking about something..."

"Mmmhmm, sure you were… anyway, lets go inside; we got school tomorrow and I know you can't wait, right?" Trixie walked up the steps, while Anna wordlessly followed. Starting school tomorrow was on her mind earlier that day, but now that didn't hold a candle to what had just happened.

To be continued…


	6. Pride

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: Sorry for the long delay on the update. I will have to be honest with you people, this will most likely be my shortest chapter. This chapter was a lot harder for me to write, than I originally thought. Though it's still coming along, I just thought I owed you, the readers, a explanation as to why it has taken me this long to update. As I said before, this story will be an epic and that I had commissioned people to do art for this and my other fic. Well, needless to say, I have come across some problems with my artist, as in; some of my request hadn't been completed, even though I already paid them. Well no need to get you guys involved in my problems. When the works have been completed, I will posted them on my author's page, and I can assure you that will be really good, one thing that they did give me were sketches, and they are awesome.

**Pride**

The first day of school was always the best! The students knew that they didn't have any homework to turn in, so they didn't need to stress out about that; but at the same time they were always bummed out, since they _DID_ have to go back to school and no one was looking forward to that. Orianna had barley gotten any sleep that night. Thoughts of going to an actual school left her a little bit anxious, growing up back in Africa, Akeeda was her only teacher, and with that being said, she was always at ease around the woman who had raised her as her own daughter. This was defiantly going to be a whole new experience, which she didn't quite know if she could handle.

When the sun finally made its way over the horizon, Orianna could feel her stomach give way to anxiety, pulling herself out of bed, she began to look for what would be here 'first day of school outfit'. Trixie had told her several times last night, that the first day of school was the day that people tended to dress their best, and to put on their own version of a fashion show. In all honesty, she didn't know what avenue she should take with her first outfit, she wanted to be comfortable; but at the same time she didn't want to come off as some pretentious girl who had her head shoved up her ass, or at least that's how Trixie would say it.

"I never thought that it would be this hard to pick out a simple outfit, to get ready for school." Orianna mumbled to herself. She was running out of time, it was already past 7:00 am, and she still hadn't combed her hair and placed it in it in her ever present hair wrap. "Ughhh… I'm going to be late for my first day of school!" frustrating herself beyond belief, Anna decided to go with her first choice, which was nothing more than a simple pair of jeans, that showed the curves of her hips and slightly flared at the bottom, a pair of classic Nike shoes, and finishing of her look, she wore a simple light blue cotton blouse with sleeves going to her elbow.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled. She hadn't put on her hair wrap yet; and the natural look of her silver white locks on her made her feel like she was still home with Akeeda, where she didn't have to hide who she really was. Soon her smile faded from her lips. She wasn't home anymore, and Akeeda wasn't there to remind her that her hair was something that she shouldn't be ashamed of. People had shown her time and time again that they weren't all as accepting as her foster mother. Slowly she picked up her wrap and began the task that had been a part of her life for the past few years. She had just finished wrapping her hair, when there came a knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, you finished yet? We gon' be late for school if you don't come on." Trixie called from the other side of the door. Smiling at her reflection in the mirror, Orianna made her way to the door to let in her impatient cousin.

"I'm all done… how do I look?" stepping back from the door, Orianna spread her arms out wide to give Trixie a better view of her outfit.

"I couldn't have done better myself cuz… since you dress, we can go before we be really late. You got all of ya stuff?" Walking back to her bed, Anna grabbed her book bag then turned back around to her cousin.

"Got everything right here… let's go." The two walked out of the room and down the stairs to the front door. Before they could get the door open, the voice of Anita reached their ears.

"Hey girls, would you like for me to give you a ride to school?"

"Naw grams, we fine."

"Oh… well if you're sure then I guess I'll see you two when you get off, I'm off today so I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay grams, see ya later."

"Bye Aunt Anita." Waving Orianna and Trixie made their way out the door.

* * *

It only took them a few minutes to make it the couple of blocks towards the school, and with every step they took, Orianna's nervousness increased. From the corner of her eye, Trixie could see her cousin's nervous gestures. It would always amaze Trixie, how the girl could look so good, but still be as shy as she was. Trixie had come across tons of girls, half as pretty as Anna, with their nose thrown so far in the air that they could smell the ozone.

"Relax girl… ya got nothin' to worry about. Imma be right behind you the whole way, and if anybody mess wit' ya, I can whip their ass." Trixie informed her trying to lighten the mood, as she laced her arm with Orianna.

Laughing nervously, Anna shook her head. She knew that Trixie was trying to comfort her, but the fact still remained, she was scared as Hell. Soon the school came into view, and Orianna thought more than once that she should run while she still had a chance. Several people turned in their direction, while Trixie practically dragged the other girl by her arm. Whispers could be heard coming from all directions, though of course, Trixie heard none of them. It was a condition of her training that Orianna always hated, not only were her physical prowess enhanced, but so where her senses. Her sight was better than that of an eagle, and she could hear nearly anything that she set her ears to.

Since coming to America, her resolve had somewhat waned, and she had forgotten that, if she let her guard down too much, she would subconsciously pick up on things. Catching a few glances of girls, who looked like they really didn't like the new person that would undoubtedly take attention away from them, she took a deep breath. On the other hand, the guys that were staring at her made her fill a little bit uncomfortable with their blatant looks of lust. Soon her discomfort level rose several degrees, as one of the bolder ones made his way towards her and Trixie.

"What's up Trix?"the boy said, with a blend of charm and street smarts. Orianna had to admit, the boy was handsome. He was the perfect example of what people would consider 'American Beauty'. He was tall with wavy blond hair, and blue eyes that rivaled her own. You could tell by the self righteous smile on his face that the boy was used to getting any girl he wanted.

"Nothin' much Marshal, what's crackin' with you?"

"Nothing much here either, just hating the fact that summer is over. Who's your friend?" Marshal said with a smile that Orianna guessed he thought was charming.

"Oh, this is my cousin Orianna. Orianna, this is Marshal."Trixie introduced them. Remembering her manners, Orianna reached her hand out to shake hands with the young man who she just met.

"It's nice to meet you Marshal." The small smirk that he was sporting just a few seconds ago, widen into a full fledge smile, showing off his perfectly white teeth.

"My pleasure, you have a beautiful accent. Where are you from?"

"South Africa."

"Wow… you're a long way from home. Maybe I could show you around school, I'm sure Trixie wouldn't mind. Would you Trix?"

"That would be up to her." This boy was too much. Trixie knew that her cousin would be popular when she started school, but this was the most popular guy in school. There were several times in her early high school career, that Trixie had fantasized about Marshal McGinnis, of course, that was before her and Spud had gotten together. Orianna was a little less impressed, it wasn't that she didn't want to get to know him; she just didn't feel like being nervous while with some guy she didn't know anything about, save his name.

"Well… um… that sounds nice and all; but I..." Orianna looked around for anything that would serve as an excuse, when coming towards her, was the perfect scape goat.

"But what?" he asked somewhat dejectedly.

"Oh… yeah, Jake here has already offered to show me around campus, and I already said yes." Jake had just walked up to the little group with Spud, when he caught the tail end of the conversation Orianna was having with Marshal and Trixie.

"Jakey-boi, you didn't tell me that you were showing Anna around." Trixie said perplexed. Now Jake was really confused, what had he just walked into? Looking at the pleading look on Anna's face, Jake decided to just go along with the flow.

"Uh… yeah, we talked about it yesterday. I promised her since she helped me with a problem I was havin', that I would show her around school today."

Marshal looked between Jake, and the new girl Orianna, with a slightly defeated look. He had never had a girl choose someone else over him. Then to be beat out by Jake Long, really left him miffed, it was bad enough that Jake had Rose hanging off his every word, now to have this African beauty..., life sometimes just was funny like that. Orianna smiled in relief, as it seemed that Jake caught on to what she was trying to do, while Jake gave her a soft smile in return. Trixie saw the little exchange between her cousin and her best friend, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face, it seemed that Orianna was more popular than she thought.

"Alright then, hopefully I'll run into you again Orianna. Catch you later Long." Marshal disappeared into the crowed of student, presumable back to the gaggling girls that he had left behind. Now all that remained was Jake, Spud, Trixie and a very relieved Orianna. Trixie saw this as a golden opportunity to play match maker, so with a wicked smile on her face, she began to subtly push Spud towards the doors of the school.

"Well we'll let you two get to ya business…"

"What are you talking about Trixie?"

"You were the one who said that Jake would be showing you around the school, so me and Spud just gon' go get our schedules and leave you two to it." Before either one of them could protest, Trixie and Spud were gone, into the crowd of people heading in. Now having a chance to let the event that happened over the last couple of minutes, Orianna could kick herself. Jake on the other hand, seemed as if nothing awkward had happened.

"Well… maybe we should head in to. We can stop and pick up our schedules."

"Thank you Jake, for bailing me out back there, that guy was coming on a bit too strong; to say that he just met me." Jake shrugged his shoulders in reponse.

"Don't worry about Marshal, he's harmless… You look good by the way." he told her, as his cheeks turned slightly pink.

At that, Orianna began to blush furiously, as images from the previous day began to flood her mind. She didn't want to dwell on the moment to much; because then she would be faced with the truth of everything that all that had happened was that Jake needed comfort, and she was there. Looking at the girl that had become a friend, Jake noticed the slight red tint to her cheeks. He began to wonder what could have her so embarrassed, the only excuse he could come up with, was her conversation with Marshal. At the thought, Jake experienced a flash of jealousy. He would have to keep an eye on the dude, to make sure that he didn't try anything stupid.

* * *

Making their way to the front office, Jake held the door to the office so that Orianna could enter. The receptionist at the front desk looked up just in time to see the beautiful young girl walk in, followed immediately by a rather attractive young man. Noticing the young man holding the door for the girl, the woman began to smile. She remembered what it was like being young and in love. That was quite a few years ago, less aging lines and a lot less grey's in her once golden blonde hair. And the constant blushing of the young woman really sealed the deal for the receptionist; these two defiantly had feelings for one another.

"Good morning, how can I help you two this morning?" the receptionist called out from behind her desk. Orianna put forth her most gracious smile that she could muster, as she made her way to the desk and the kind lady.

"Hello… My name is Orianna Zirenthea, I just moved here. I was just wondering if this is the place that I go to pick up my schedule."

"Oh, you must be the exchange student from Africa. We have been waiting for your arrival. My name is Gwendolyn Anderson, let me just look you up in the system."

While the woman typed the information onto her computer, Orianna looked over her shoulder and noticed that Jake was standing directly behind her, rather close behind her. She could tell that he really didn't notice how close they were, they were so close that she could fell his body heat, and if she was honest with herself, she really didn't mind him being that close.

Jake stood patiently, while Mrs. Anderson pulled up Orianna's information; and the whole while his mind was going over all the things that were happening in his life at the moment. School had finally started back up, he and Rose just broke up like two days ago, and now he was helping out his newest friend. All and all, things really weren't as bad as he thought they should be, he could deal with this, one day at a time.

"Ah, here you are, Miss Orianna Azuri Zirenthea, transfer from Zimbabwe South Africa. It seems here, that you didn't attend any formal school, but was home schooled, and your aptitude test designated you, along with your age, to the junior level here. I have your schedule right here… I assume your boyfriend here will be showing you around to your classes?" both Jake and Orianna sputtered on their words. "You two are just such a cute couple. Ahh to be young and in love again… oh, look at the time, you two should be heading off to class. Don't want to be late on your first day, do you?"

"I guess not." Jake finally said. Walking out the door, they both made their way down the hallway.

"Why do you suppose everywhere we go together people always think we're a couple?" That question threw Jake off completely.

"What do you mean everywhere?"

"Well, when we left that restaurant, I heard the waiter say that I was your girlfriend."

"You heard that?!"Jake asked shocked, while Orianna laughed at the look on Jake's face.

"Well it was pretty hard not to, I was only standing like two feet away when he said it."

Jake was at a loss for words, what do you say to someone with a question like that? 'They see us as a couple because maybe we're supposed to be, since we do fit kinda nice together?' Yeah, that would really go over well, ask one girl out immediately after you and your ex just break up. "Let me take a look at your schedule." Jake said in an attempt to change the subject. Noticing Jake's reluctance to answer the question, Orianna handed him the paper.

"Huh… it seems you and me share a lot of classes together. You have first period with me, which would be Calculus, then after that you have a chemistry class, sorry I don't take chem. Um, then you have a English class, also with me, followed by P.E. Though in that class, they separate the boys from the girls, Trixie and Spud takes that class with us. You have an elective here to, they put you in piano classes, hope you enjoy that." Jake said with a playful jerked the paper from his grasp and stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, now that's cute."

"You think so?" she said sarcastically. Looking at the paper, she looked for what her final class would be. "Theater… what is that?" she looked questioningly.

"Well that's the class that they usually put people in when they don't choose more than one elective, don't worry; I have to take it to, since the class I wanted was full."

"Oh, okay, well lead the way, oh supreme tour guide." Orianna said with a mock bow.

"Hardy har har… come on, let's go before we are really late. I don't want to get detention on the first day of school."

* * *

Walking into her first class, Orianna could feel every eye land on her. People had stopped in mid-conversation to look at the new person that had walked in with the resident Asian Adonis. Placing his hand on her lower back, Jake directed Orianna to the chairs that would seat them next to one another. The one thing that Jake wasn't counting on, was for Rose to have the same first period as him. This would really make his day. He really didn't want to see her this soon; he was hoping that he could avoid her at all cost, at least until he came to grips with things. Before he could find another set of seat, Rose called out to him.

"Hi Jake." Turning around almost mechanically, as he fixed Rose with a mask of indifference.

"Hi." he said in a monotone fashion.

"I was hoping to talk to you some more… before you took off the other night." Jake drew his lips in a tight line, he couldn't believe she had the nerves to even talk to him after the other night.

"I think you said all that needed to be said already. I really don't have anything else to say to you right now, if ever, other than hello and goodbye."

A glimmer of hurt passed over Rose's eyes before she had a chance to hide it. She knew that Jake would still be upset, she just hoped that the loved that they once shared would be enough to help them move past this. Only then did she notice the girl standing on the side of Jake. It was safe to say that the girl was extremely pretty. She was able to recall Jake saying something about Trixie's cousin was supposed to moving in from Africa, before their relationship went to Hell in a handbag, and this must be her.

"Hello, you must be Trixie's cousin. My name's Rose." Realization hit Orianna at the speed of light. This would not be a good thing; this was the girl that Trixie ragged upon like there was no tomorrow, and the girl that had broken Jake's heart no more than two days ago. Still, never let it be said that Orianna didn't carry herself like a lady.

"Yes-yes I am, my name's Orianna."

"Come on O' we should find our seats." Jake said pulling Orianna away from Rose.

"Jake…" Rose said trying to halt him. She knew that she would get nowhere with him today, and decided not to make a scene in front of everyone. It was strange though, it seemed that Jake had a close bond with that gril; but what really made it so weird was the fact that he had just met her. Rose may have had Jake's attention from the moment he laid eye on her; but it took her some time to get him to respond to her on something more than the physical. The way he kept her close to him, as he tried to find seats for them, made her wonder just who was this girl to gain so much in such a small amount of time.

The rest of the class went pretty much uneventful. The teacher was excited to have and new student, especially one from so far away. Immediately after spotting her, the man, who looked to be in his mid forties with thinning brown hair, asked her to give almost her entire life story. Of course the question about her features came into play, from questions asking if she was wearing contact to if she was some kind of swim suit model.

That question was shot down rather quickly, by not only the teacher; but also by Jake. Nearly everyone in the class was snickering and asking Jake if he had a thing for the new girl. All the while Rose sat in her seat and made relatively no sound. She was prepared to have people ask why she and Jake were no longer together, but now it seemed that she would have to fend off accusations that Jake had left her for another girl.

After the relative interrogation, class was dismissed and Jake escorted her out of the class, while a few guys congratulated him on his awesome new 'girlfriend. Jake began to shack his head, this would be a lot harder than he thought. People would make it seem that he dumped Rose, just so he could hook up with Anna; and honestly he didn't want that, since it would not only hurt him and Rose, but Orianna to.

"Don't worry Jake, sooner or later people will figure out that you and I are just friends, and then you can go back to your 'player status'." Noticing the teasing tone in her voice, Jake nudged her with his shoulder.

"I see you got jokes huh…"

"I suppose. You just looked like the world was coming to an end, and I wanted to get your mind off of it."

"Well I can tell ya' that you always help with that. Here is your class...chem. class, with Professor Rotwood. Be careful, the guy's nuts and will probably say some pretty off the wall stuff. Just don't draw any attention to yourself and you should be fine."

"Oh I've been doing a wonderful job lately with staying inconspicuous; I could be a spy you know." Laughing Jake placed a hand on her should to ease her nervous reaction.

"Are you always sarcastic when you're nervous? Look I'll ask my next teacher if I can leave class a little early so I can meet you here, that way you won't have to walk to your next class alone, okay?"

"Wow Jake, thank you, that's really nice of you. I'll see you after class." Jake nodded his head then made his was down the hall and to his next class.

* * *

Jake wasn't lying when he said this Rotwood guy was a little off. Just by being in his class for 45 minutes, left her wondering why the man hadn't been committed. During his lectures, he would go off on some tangent about the secret world of magical creatures, and how some even mastered the art of disguise to the point that they could even blend in with humans. While Orianna was well aware that some of the things he said were true, she didn't think an average person would even be aware that half of those things existed. The man even claimed that he had come across a dragon who could disguise himself as a boy.

When the bell finally rang, to signify the end of class, Orianna didn't waste any time to collect her books and make a mad dash for the door. She was comfortable with her abilities to conceal her true identity, but she just didn't want to take any chance and slip up in front of this fanatic. And just as she made her way out the door, there stood Jake, as promised, with his arm crossed with his leg propped up against the wall and looking at the floor. She walked over to him, trying her best to catch him off guard.

"If you look at it any harder, you're going to burn a hole in it." She said with a giggle. Her voice brought Jake back to reality, rubbing the back of his neck, Jake tried to had the massive blush from showing.

"I didn't even know classed ended. We have English next, it's on the other side of campus, in E building, we should go."

Again the two walked down the hall together and still drawing glances from boys and girls alike. Though this time, neither one seemed too noticed, as they laughed and talked about Rotwood and all the bizarre things he had mentioned in classed. At first Jake was a little worried that Rotwood may have said something that would have blown his cover, but hearing Orianna mention how ridicules the man sounded eased away any worries he had.

English hadn't gone as bad as her other classes, she did however, have to introduce herself to the class. Though Mrs. Whitman wasn't as probing as Mr. Flask when it came to her questions about where it was that Orianna had grown up. In this class, she and Jake didn't get the option to set close to one another.

By the time they had made it to class almost all the seats were taken, and the only ones available, left them with a distance of two desks away from one another. During the time that the teacher was reading the syllabus for the class, Orianna began to daydream. And in her semi consciousness Orianna's senses picked up on something that she would have been happier not hearing.

A few chairs behind her, she could hear two girls talking… and the subject matter of their conversation was her. They were going off on how low Jake was for dumping Rose and supposedly dating the new chick from Africa. Hearing the names that the girls were referring to her as, made Orianna's blood boil slightly, it seemed that no matter what continent she was own, people would forever shun her to some extent. Glancing slightly over her shoulder, Orianna tried to get a glimpse of her transgressors.

One was a petite brunette with alluring brown eyes. The other was a girl who could be described as having the classic 'black beauty' looks, her shoulder length black hair was straight as a bone and held in a lose ponytail, with bangs that slightly fell over her green eyes. Both girls stopped in their conversation and noticed that the object of the verbal escapades, were staring directly at them. Neither offered any sign of an a apology, and went back to taking their notes.

Orianna couldn't understand what she could have done to have people that she barely knew hate her, for something she hadn't even done. Her anger was so responsive that they manifested themselves through her powers, and without even realizing it she cause the gel pens in their hands to burst, causing the ink to fly over their brand new clothing.

The girls shrieked in surprise, and everyone turned to look at what the noise was about. Seeing both girls covered in ink, the entire class began to laugh, everyone that is, except Orianna. She began to sink down in her desk, embarrassed that she had lost control like that. Akeeda always told her that she would have to reign in her emotions, or else they could have serious conciseness.

Jake also turned to see what had happened, when he seen two of Rose's 'lackey's', as he liked to call them, covered in ink he began to laugh alone with everyone else. When he turned to see if Orianna found it as funny, he was greeted with her shrunk into desk, facing towards the front of the class.

* * *

Soon their third class for the day was completed, and now they were headed to P.E. On the way to the class, they met up with Trixie and Spud. The whole way to class, Trixie, Jake and Spud had one big laugh at what had happened to the two girls earlier on in the day. Once they had reached the gym, the boy went in the opposite direction, heading towards the boys locker room.

"Sooo…. You and Jake been pretty much been kickin' all day huh?" Trixie and Orianna had by this time made it to the girls dressing room and begun to change into their uniforms. Orianna was careful not to loosen her hair wrap while she removed her shirt.

"I guess you could say that. We just have a few classes together, that's all."

"Yeah right…" Trixie slyly remarked. As they were finishing putting on their clothes, the two girls that had ink plastered all over their shirts earlier, came strolling in.

"Oh hi Trick… I mean Trixie. How's it going?" Trixie sneered at the two girls, in particular the one who turned her nickname into a insult.

"What up Assley… I'm so sorry I meant Ashley. How are you and ya lesbian lover, Lindsey, doing?"

"I'm no lesbian hoe!" the brunette remarked as she made a slight step toward Trixie.

"You about to be a mute lesbian, when I knock ya ass across the head if you call me out my name again bitch." Trixie informed matter-of-factly. Before things could get anymore out of hand Orianna stepped between Trixie and Lindsey.

"Come on Trixie; let's get back in the gym."

"And if it ain't Jake's new lil side line hoe. Honestly I don't get what he sees in you over my girl Rose, but I guess he decided that he needed to drop his standards." Orianna turned around, from trying to push Trixie out the door.

"What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me. I know you're not from America, so maybe I should speak more slowly." Ashley said with a smug grin on her face, realizing that she got a rise out of the girl. Before Orianna could let her thoughts be know, the P.E. coach came in.

"Come on girls, we have a class to start and I need everyone outside." Regaining her composure, Orianna straightened and walked towards the door. Trixie followed behind her, but not before whispering to the other girls.

"This ain't over bitches, mess with me or my cousin again, and you will come up short." And with that Trixie left the room.

For the first day of class, both the coach of the boys gym and the girls gym, decided to have a game of volleyball; girls vs. boys. And wonder of all wonders, Orianna got put on a team with Ashley and Lindsey. She had no idea what she had done to offend any of the Gods, but it seemed that they had it out for her today. Her team, which consisted of her and the two hellions from Hell and two other girls, was going up against Jake, Spud and number of guys, she had no idea of what their names were.

In the beginning, the match was going okay, she had never really played the game before, but she picked up on it rather quickly. Her agility really came in handy as she dashed and sprinted for the ball. There were several times that she was hit in the back of the head with the ball, mostly from her own side of the net. Glaring daggers at both Ashley and Lindsey, wish bloody murder on both, she chose not to stoop to their level. Trixie on the other hand, wasn't as poised; she let her thoughts go by throwing insults and both.

Half way through the match, Ashley thought of, what she considered a devious plot; the new girl constantly wore that little wrap around her head. What could she be hiding underneath that thing that she didn't want people to know about? Well it was time for that little mystery to be solved. Signaling Lindsey to follow her lead, Ashley walked to the line to serve the ball. Once the ball was in play, Lindsey ran towards Orianna, and when the ball was heading towards the girl, Lindsey 'accidently' ran into Orianna and her hand got caught on her hair wrap, and with a forceful tug, she pulled the scarf off of her head.

Orianna was frozen on the spot. She felt the tug on her hair wrap a split second before it was taken from her head. All the self conscious thoughts that plagued her mind as a young girl, all fought for dominance. She could feel her hair brush the base of her neck and the small of her back, where her shirt rose up.

Lifting her head from the court of the gym, her eyes were met with several other pair. Everyone was staring at her with a confused look on their faces, even Trixie, Jake and Spud. She could feel her world falling apart all over again, and for a brief moment in time, she felt like she was thirteen years old again. And like when she was thirteen, the only action she could think of was to run, and run is what she did.

"O'… wait!" Jake called out to her. He had wondered why she always wore that hair wrap, but never really thought about it, since she looked good with it. Now that the truth was out, he was a little bit lost. Those thought would have to wait until later, right now, he had to find Orianna.

"Did you see that, she must be some kind of albino." Ashley said laughing, walking over to Lindsey and taking the hair wrap in her hand like some kind of prize. Before she could get another word out, a fist was sent flying into her jaw. Shaking her head to remove the blurred vision she now had, Ashley looked and the hand that went to her lip a second after the punch was thrown, she say blood, and looking up she say the person who had thrown the powerful punch to her jaw.

"I told ya bitch, mess with me or my cousin and you would come up short." Trixie said fuming. Before she could pounce and the girl and continue to beat the Hell out of her, Spud moved in and held her back.

"Baby… baby… calm down. She ain't worth getting expelled." Trixie continued to struggle, trying desperately to exact her cousin's revenge.

* * *

Jake burst through the doors of the gym, yelling for Orianna to stop, but she was far from listening to his request. The platinum haired girl continued to race down the halls at a rate that Jake was hard pressed to match. She had absolutely no idea where she was running to, but the overwhelming need to hide herself from the rest of the world, gave her feet the motivation to keep going. She finally came to a door, that she was sure would lead her to some privacy.

The moment the door was closed, she leaned against it, and let the hot tears flow from her eyes like a never ending river. She had thought she had finally made it to a place where people wouldn't ridicule her for her hair, but I guess hatred didn't recognize any boundaries. But the sight that hurt her the most was the look on her friend's faces. They had all stood there, Trixie included, with the most unpleasing looks etched on their faces. That alone, was what caused her to flee without a second thought.

She really had no one to blame but herself really, she should have told them about what was really going on with her, or at least Trixie at the very least. It was her fear that none of them would understand, was what kept her from revealing the truth, now it was a mistake that she wished she could take back. Placing her head on her knees, the sobs continued to spill forth, and showed no signs of ending. No more than two minutes of her arrival, the door beside her began to slowly open. Anxiety began to hammer at her heart; she didn't want to be seen, especially with her secret out. Before the door could fully open, she shot to her feet and forced the door close.

"Please… I don't want to talk to anyone right now. Please just go…" The desperation and pain was evident in her voice, and it was another weak moment that she wished she could tuck away with all the other embarrassments of today.

"O'… it's me, let me in." it was the one person that she really didn't think she could face right now.

"Please Jake, just leave me alone. I don't want to talk right now."

"You've said that already. I didn't leave then and I won't leave now. Just let me in." She was torn, she didn't want to have to explain to him at this particular moment, the reasons for her hair pigmentation, but she also knew that no amount of stalling would make the issue go away. Placing her forehead to the door, she mentally prayed that he would take her silence as a hint to leave her by herself, but that would be asking too much.

"Come on Anna, I can hear you breathin' on the other side, so I know you heard me. Open up." Laughing at Jake's comment, she pulled herself from the door to allow him entry.

Hearing her giggle, Jake thought that was a good sign, and tested the door to see if it would open. Sure enough, the door opened, and the image awaiting him on the other side left him speechless. From the moment he saw Orianna, he found her attractive, but looking at her now, with no disguises, no illusions, it all left him in a state of awe.

At first, the hair had thrown him off, but looking at it, in contrast to her skin tone, he couldn't help admit that it looked perfect on her, and wouldn't change anything about her. The way loose strand feel to slightly cover her alluring sapphire eye, made them seem to sparkle like jewels. The one thing that took away from the picture perfect image, was the tell tale tears rolling down her cheeks.

He had always hated to see any girl cry, but this picture really jerked at his heart. Orianna was one, if not the, most caring and kindest people he had ever come across, she didn't deserve to be hurt like this. "Orianna…" Jake said with a masculine groan and an empathic look in his eyes. As he took a few steps towards her, she began to back up, she still felt a little venerable, even where he was concern.

The concerned look in his eyes forced her to look away, and to stare at the floor, causing her hair to fall in an ivory curtain, effectively cutting her off from his gaze. Though she couldn't see him, Orianna could her Jake making his way over to her, but this time she didn't bother to take a step back. The cool pads of Jake's finger tips on her cheeks were the first thing that Orianna registered, before slowly looking into his eyes.

"Why ya cryin'?" The question left her completely puzzled, wasn't it obvious why she was crying?

"I would think it obvious… look at me?"

"I don't see anything wrong."

"I don't want to play games with you right now Jacob." Orianna said, while inching away from him, before he pulled her back to him.

"Who's playin'? I don't see anything wrong."

"So I guess you're the only one who doesn't notice my hair huh?"

"No… I notice it. I just don't see what the problem is. You're still the same O' that I meet a week ago, and just because I finally got to see what's under the wrap, don't mean anything. To be honest with you, I think it make you look pretty damn sexy." The smile was back on her face before she even knew it. She would always like Jake for being able to make her smile, even if she really didn't want to at the moment.

"Well at least one person doesn't think that I'm a total freak."

"That would be three; you forgot to count Trix and Spud. I know you don't think they gon' look down on you?"

"Well…"

"Well nothing. Trixie is your cousin, and Spud is her boyfriend, so that technically makes the two of you cousins."

"What about you, what does that make you?"

Jake noticed the hitch in her voice when she asked that question. He didn't want to over analyze anything, but he could have sworn there was more to that question than just 'what does that make you?'

"Uh… um… that would make me your friend, and friends don't walk out on friends." He thought that answered should be enough, without getting him into that much trouble. "Now let's get back to class, if it's still going on. Coach is goin' to be pissed when we get back." Orianna giggled, as she let Jake lead her back to the door that lead to the hallway, and back to her own private Hell.

* * *

By the time that they made it back to the gym, class was over. The few passing people leaving the class, continued to stare at Orianna as she and Jake made their way to the locker rooms. She initially wanted to put her head down in shame, but every time she began to lower her head, Jake nudge he in the arm.

"Don't let them make you feel bad for who you are." Jake told her. Smiling gratefully, Orianna walked into the locker room to change. A few minutes later, she emerged to find Jake talking with the coach. "Coach… I had to leave just for a minute, it was an emergency!"

"If it was that much of an emergency, then you should have told me about it. Seems this Friday you'll be spending detention with me and Miss Carter."

"But we just got back to school! Don't I get some kind of warning?" Jake asked.

"No… you don't get a warning. You know the rules of this school Mr. Long, and over the last few years of you being here, you have managed to 'disappear' from several of your class. Unless you can give me one valid reason why I shouldn't punish you, I'll see you on Friday." As Coach Johnson began to walk away, Orianna finally spoke up.

"He was helping me." Coach Johnson turned to see the newest addition of the school. So this was the girl Trixie Carter slugged Ashley Henderson for? Well be that as it may, student couldn't do whatever they wanted and not expect there to be consequences.

"I understand you want to help your new friends, but him helping you doesn't qualify as an emergency, sorry."

"Well then you should punish me as well. I left the class to, so I should have to spend detention with the others." Orianna was adamant about this; she wouldn't back down, no matter what.

"Look Miss Zirenthea, you're a new student here, so I don't expect you to know all the rules and regulations. But Mr. Long here on the other hand, knows perfectly well what the consequences of ditching class."

"But I didn't…"

"He didn't ditch class. I was having a problem adjusting, and he was trying to help me cope."

"That doesn't change anything."

"Then I'll be in detention to." The coach looked at the African girl for a few seconds, thinking that, maybe this was some desperate attempt at getting the boy off the hook. But looking into her eyes, he could see that she was dead serious about what she was saying.

"Fine… if you want to spend your Friday afternoon in detention with your friends, than be my guest…" the coach looked to Jake. "It seems you'll have some company. Now you two should be going, lunch is about to start." Without another word, the coach turned his back before either could say anything else.

"You didn't have to do that you know."

"You didn't have to follow me, but you did. Now were even, come on Jake, let's go to lunch." The two made their way out of the gym and down the hall leading to the cafeteria. Things would get far worse, before they got better, this Orianna knew, but for right now, she thought she could deal with the pressures of high school life. After passing through the throng of student, Jake and Orianna picked up their treys and got their food. It only took them a split second for them to spot Spud and Trixie, a rather perturbed Trixie at that. Making their way over, Jake and Orianna sat at the table with their friends and began to eat their lunch.

* * *

"What got you so pissed, Trixie?"

"She's pissed because she got detention on the first week of school." Spud answered for her, since she was obviously too angry to answer.

"What for?" Orianna asked astonished, and somewhat guiltily, since she figured it had something to do with her.

"She punched the Hell out of Ashley, after you two left the gym. Man Jake, you should have seen the punch my girl gave that chick, It was classic!" Jake smiled at the pride in Spuds voice.

"Fereal Trixie, you got her that good? I should start callin' you Muhammad Ali."

"I told that bitch she would come up short if she missed with my cousin. I guess she just too dense to understand." Trixie mumbled.

"You didn't have to do that for me Trixie."

"Yes I did… I told her to watch her step. It was her own fault, she didn't listen." Trixie said matter of factly.

"Well at least you won't be alone Friday… Coach Johnson gave me detention to."

"And me." Trixie was floored; she had expected Jake to wind up in detention; but Orianna? She didn't see that one coming.

"Why did he give you detention Anna?"

"Well he really didn't give me detention per say…"

"Yeah… it was more like she asked for it."

"Why would you ask for detention?" Spud stopped eating his food to ask Orianna.

"Well it wasn't fair that he was giving Jake detention, simply because he came to check up on me. It wasn't right." Trixie stared at her cousin in sly amazement, oh yes there was defiantly something between her and Jake.

They continued eating their food, while Trixie told Jake and Orianna about her confrontation with Ashley. Jake laughed until the sides were hurting after hearing about the sucker punch that Trixie had given Ashley, he would defiantly try to stay on Trixie's good side from now on. Soon the question that Orianna was dreading to come up finally made its appearance in their little conversation.

"Sooo… what's up with the hair?"

"Spud!!" Trixie scolded him, while Orianna began to comb her fingers through her hair self consciously, there was no hiding the facts now.

"Well… it's kind of complicated…" no one said anything, they all stared at Anna and waited for her to continue. "Well, I guess the best answer would be that I was born with it. Akeeda always told me that it was some kind of pigmentation deficiency. When I was younger, I was always teased by the other kids in my village. After awhile, I just started wearing the hair wrap so people couldn't tell what color my hair was." She looked at her friends after she finished her explanation; she had never told anyone about her hair since she decided to hide it from the world. There response would mean everything, because if they could understand or accept her the way she was, then she didn't know how she would go on living here in America.

"So what about your eyebrows? How come those aren't the same color as your hair?" Spud continued to ask his questions, while Trixie slapped him on the arm.

"Makeup... I used a charcoal based power to tint my eyebrows so people wouldn't wonder about the rest of my hair. See..." Orianna dipped her napkin into her class of water, wetting it, then brining the damp napkin to her eyes, wiping the black power away from her eyebrows, reviling hair as platinum as what rested on top of her head.

"So, you were ashamed to be yourself? Orianna, I told you God knows how many times, that we are cousin, and no matter what you may look like, or what color your hair is, nothing will ever change that. I'm here for you."

"And that goes for me to, besides, Trixie would kill me if I did anything else." Spud said, as he draped his arm over Trixie's shoulder; narrowly dodge her swing at him.

"You see, I told you everything would be cool." Jake said.

"You two sure have been gettin' kinda friendly with each other lately. I'm beginning to wonder if ya'll got something going on." The blushes that covered both Jake and Orianna's faces could put the reddest tomato to shame.

"Come on Trix… I just broke up with Rose like two days ago…"

"You didn't say anything about you breaking up with Rose. When did this happen?!" Trixie asked in slight hysterics.

"A few days ago, I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would say 'I told you so'."

Trixie looked slightly hurt, before she found her voice to answer. "Jakie-boi, you know me better than that. If you were hurtin' over ya break up with Rose, then you should have called."

"I'm sorry Trix, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I just need someone not so close to the situation, to give me an honest answer."

"Ohhh... so that's what you meant when you said that Anna helped you out ealier." Spud said, giving Jake a smile that let him know that he approved.

"Uh… um… I-I…"

"No need to explain, baby boi, just long as you don't do nothin' stupid, then I would be cool with you datin' my cousin."

"Um… I am right here you know guy? You could at least pretend that I can make decisions on my own, on who I would or wouldn't like to date." Orianna told them. Jake looked to hurt with a slightly pained look on his face.

"So you're saying that you wouldn't want to date me?"

"I-I didn't say anything like that. I was just… I… wait…" Before she could fix the huge mistake, a shadow fell over their table, and as soon as Trixie looked to see who had walked up, she immediately got angry.

"What do you want here Rose?" she said, without an ounce of compassion.

"I wanted to apologize for what Ashley and Lindsey did to you." Rose said, looking directly at Orianna. "It was wrong of them to say the things they did, and for them to try and embarrass you in front of the whole class. I just wanted to let you know that I had no idea they would do something like that."

Everyone looked at the girl as if she had grown an extra head. Even Jake was a little bit out done by her coming to the table with that. Everyone that is, except Orianna. She could see that the girl was making an honest attempt to set the record straight, and if she could swallow her pride and walk over here to make amends, than the lest she could do was met her halfway.

"Apology accepted…"

"Say what?! Girl you must be trippin'. Rose, I never really liked you since the beginning, and the only reason I tolerated you was because you was Jake girl. Now that the two of you have broken up, I don't fell the need to bit my tounge. Your lil cronies got a real good laugh out of my cousin here, and now you think you can just walk up here and apologize and everything will be hunky-dory? Hell naw, we ain't takin' that." Trixie explained.

"I already said I had nothing to do with that! Jake, you know I would never do something like that."

"I don't know what you would do anymore." He said with his head down towards his plate. Orianna could see that things were not going to well for the other girl, so she decide to help her out.

"Well Trixie, I'm sorry to say, but this really isn't your decision…" Trixie looked to her cousin amazed. "Rose came all the way her to apologize, and I for one will listen. True, she may not have to best people as friends, that still doesn't mean that their transgressions should transfer over to her. So again Rose, I accept you apology. Now if you all would excuse me, I have to go and find my next class." With that, Orianna rose from her seat and picked up her trey. Remembering that he had promised to show Orianna around, and the fact that they shared the same class, Jake also got up from his seat.

"I think I can manage with the next one Jake, remember, you don't have that class with me. Besides I think you and Rose, should talk, it seems as though you two have a lot of unresolved issues." Orianna said as she walked away slightly miffed. Jake stared at the young girl as she walked away. That was the first time any of them had seen Orianna even slightly angry, and none could understand her mood change. Jake looked over to his left, and noticed Rose was staring at him. This would defiantly be a long day.

* * *

Orianna went to her next class, piano, and was barely able to focus on what the instructor was saying. She had to admit, maybe she did overreact earlier during lunch, but watching Jake's reaction to Rose left her a little bit angrier than she rightfully should have been. Jake was obviously still attached to Rose, even though he would swear up and down that he wasn't. She just didn't like to see him in pain, and the only thing that his arguing with Rose would bring, is pain.

She thought that it would be best that they talked over their issues, and try to come to some kind of agreement on where their relationship stood, and Orianna didn't want to get involved on that level. It was finally the last class of the day, and Orianna wasn't looking forward to it. It was the last class that she took with Jake, theater. She walked into the auditorium, and took a sigh of relief when she didn't see Jake anywhere in sight. She walked over to the stage where groups of student were busy talking.

"So how was your summer Madison?"

"Oh it was the best! My parents took me on this wonderful cruise to the Caribbean."

"Wow that sounds great. I wish I could have done something that cool; all I got to do was visit family in Minnesota." The girls continued to talk, while Orianna walked past them, to the chairs that were placed in a circle on the stage. A few short minutes later, students began to file in through the doors, and then a familiar face walk through.

Jake had the most sullen expression marred on his face, that Orianna had ever seen on a person. He looked like all the life had been sucked out of him, and her intial response was to console him, but she fought against her instinct, and decided to give him some private time to cope with his problems.

Soon the teacher came in, and began to have the student introduce themselves. Some of the students had been part of the drama class since their freshman year. Without her hair wrap, Orianna had a few more questions to answer, like was her hair dyed. After the initial infatuation, people began to continue on with their introduction. After everyone had a chance to introduce themselves. Mrs. Belew began to hand out the syllabus for the class year. It seemed that this year, the drama class would be putting on a play, which would count for 75 of their total grade.

After much moaning and complaining from the people who didn't willingly enlist in the class, everyone collected their things and prepared to leave for the day. Once the bell rang, the student left the stage and made their way to the door. During the entire class, Jake and Orianna didn't even make eye contact with each other, both sorting through their own particular problems at the moment. When Orianna finally made her way to the front entrance to the school, she found Trixie waiting for her by the flag pool.

"Where's Spud?"

"I had him go check up on Jake. After you left, him and Rose had some pretty strong words to say to each other. I was bout' to know her block off, before Spud dragged me away from the table."

"So that's why he looked so upset in class. I thought it had something to do with me stalking off."

"Well the verdict is still out on that, but lets not talk about it right now, it's only goin' to give me a headache." The two walked on in silence, only talking to say how each class had went. They finally made it two their home, and they weren't even able to make it four steps before Anita walked into the hall.

"Girls… you're home." Anita said, only slightly thrown off by Orianna's new appearance.

"That's all you have to say, ya'll home? You not even going to ask about Anna's hair." Anita only laughed as she made her way over to her niece and gently running her fingers through her platinum locks.

"Well I would, if I didn't already know."

"You knew?!" both girls said in unison.

"Yes… I knew."

"And you said nothing? Why?" Orianna asked perplexed.

"Because I thought it would be best if you came out and said it on your own, not having me give all of your personal business." She told her.

"Who told you grams?"

"It was in one of Akeeda's letter. When she told me that I would recognize Orianna by her unique eyes, she also said that the child's hair would be even more unique." Orianna stood there and absorbed the information she was given. She should have known that was how Anita had found out, Akeeda always told her that she should be proud of her hair.

"So… which one of you would like to explain to me what you both did to have detention this Friday?" Both girls looked like they had been blindside by a moving train, this would one real good practice for them to work on their joint deception skills.

To be continued…

A/N: I know I said in my author's notes above, that this would be a short chapter, but once I really got into writing it, it kinda got away from me and turned into this. I hope you all really enjoyed the chapter. I'm proud of the work I did on this one, I really thought that I wouldn't have that many words; though it has over 10,266 and that the story wouldn't flow, but going over it, I'm really happy. I didn't have a beta for this chapter so please be a little bit forgiving. There will be more action in the next one since I finally got the whole first day of school thing out of the way. I'm hoping to introduce Orianna to the magical community in NYC in the next chapter, so please bear with me. And a big thanks to all of those who have been reading and reviewing, it really means a lot.


	7. World Within Worlds

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

Hey people! I'm like soooo excited, not only have I been getting great reviews from all of you, but the people who were doing commissions for me have finished the art work, now I can share some of them with you guys. First I would like to apologize for the delay, like so many other people; the presidential election has completely encompassed my life. I have been watching lately how things are going for my candidate, Barack Obama, and by all the polls, he is winning, HOORAY for change! Correction… HE WON!!!! Anywho… this chapter will be a little faster than the others. I've noticed that I have been writing almost in a real time style and I guess I'm dragging some things out, so in an attempt to not belabor the point, I will skip ahead a bit and not do everything on a day by day basis, sorry to all those who liked that mode. Now in this chapter, as I've alluded to in the one previous, I'll introduce Orianna into the magical community of NYC, so hold on everyone and prepare yourselves for the action… at least I hope so. One last thing, this chapter maybe kinda short… I know, I know…before anybody gets upset with me I want to apologize. I wanted to get this done while it was still on my mind, and to relieve a little of the stress that some have been feeling regarding the two main characters interaction. Also, I have some great news, I will be posting a pic of Jake and Orianna that I had commission, and I hoped you all like it, so without further ado, the next chapter. **Also, another piece of info, I've said in several author's notes that I had art work done, well a few of the pics have been completed and I want to share them with you, you please visit my author's page and check 'em out, they'll be under the American Dragon title. **

Worlds Within Worlds

Things over the next couple of days went by almost sluggishly. Not only did Jake, Trixie and Orianna have to deal with an almost painful detention with Rotwood, but each and every one of them had been grounded for the following weekend. Jake was somewhat used to the constant groundings he would get from his parents, so for him it was no big deal, but Trixie hadn't been grounded in her entire life. She was beyond pissed that her grandmother would even do such a thing. She was trying to defend her cousin, and her grams would ground her for that? What was the world coming to, when a girl couldn't lay the smack down on some hoe who was trying to dis her own flesh and blood?

Signing Trixie threw her head onto her pillow and screamed, she was suppose to be out on a date with Spud tonight, and now she was stuck at home. Hearing someone giggle from the other side of the room, she lifted her head, and glared daggers at her cousin. The one consolation prize was that she wasn't alone. As before with Jake, Orianna demanded the same punishment as the others, and opted to be punished right alongside her cousin. Anita wasn't planning on giving her any type of punishment since she was the newest residence of the house, and she figured the girl was simply trying to adjust, but Orianna left no room to do otherwise. Trixie began to shake her head and chuckle softly; she would never understand this girl as long as she lived.

"You didn't have to punish yourself Anna. "

"I know, but what else could I be doing tonight? It's not like I have anything better planned." Orianna said as he continued to read her book.

They had been over this since Friday, and Trixie simply couldn't let it go. Trixie went back to staring at the ceiling aimlessly, and Orianna continued to read her novel. She was on the final book of a series called Harry Potter. There was something infinatly entertaining about non-magically inclined people's perspective about the phenomenon's that went on in the world, which would always leave her flustered.

It wasn't that humans were completely off base when they speculated about things such as witches, demons, or any other aspect of the world that she was taught by her aunt, but how foolish they were to dismiss all of it as fiction. If Akeeda taught her nothing else, it was always to have respect for something you weren't entirely sure on, because underestimating anything could lead to disaster.

When Anita finally called the two down for dinner, Trixie sighed heavily with the fact that her night had officially ended. There would be nothing else to do, and really no time at all to try and convince her grandmother if she could still go out and catch a movie with Spud. Making their way down stairs, and into the kitchen, Orianna and Trixie marveled at the spread that Anita had laid out.

She had cooked all of Trixie's favorites, from fried chicken, to cornbread and all the other dishes Anita herself grew up on in the south. Orianna had never eating any of these foods before, but the smell alone made her mouth water. With everyone to the table and ready to dig in to the meal placed before them, Anita was quick to stop Trixie from taking any food.

"Excuse me young lady? I know you weren't about to take any of that before someone said grace?" the stern look in her grandmother's eyes gave Trixie pause. She had gotten her hand smacked far too many times in the past to take her grandmother's look lightly.

"Sorry grams…" Trixie said, almost childishly. Anita smiled at her granddaughter, then to her niece.

"Would you like to say grace dear? I know it may not be your custom, and you don't have to if you don't wish to but…"

"No… no, I can do it." Orianna bowed her head along with everyone else, and said a silent prayer that she didn't make herself sound like a complete fool. "I would like to give thanks for this meal that we are about to partake in. And I would also like to give thanks for the wonderful family that I have been blessed with. Though I have not been raised as a Christian, I will still give thanks to the Christian God for delivering my family to me….. Amen." She wasn't sure entirely if that was how a Christian prayer should go, but she spoke all of it from the heart, and by the look of pride on Anita's face, she could tell that her efforts weren't in vain.

"That was sooo good grams." Trixie said, as she finished the last of her meal.

"It was delicious." Orianna affirmed.

"Thank you girls, I must say, I think I outdid myself." Anita said, giving herself a slight pat on the back. She had decided that since she would have both girls home for the night, that they all could sit down and have dinner as a family. "Now, what would you girls like to do? We can watch a movie, or simply talk; your pick."

"I thought we were punished, yet you gon' let us watch a movie? What's up with that Grams?" Trixie asked, somewhat skeptically. True she had never been grounded before, but she was sure that when a parent grounded a child that they weren't allowed to watch TV.

"Well, I figured you both have been punished enough, but if you want to stay on punishment…" Anita said teasingly.

"Does that mean I can still go see that movie with Spud?" Trixie asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not, it is well past 8'oclock and you have school tomorrow. You have two choices, you can stay down stairs with me or you can get ready for bed."

"I guess I'll stay here then." Trixie mumbled under her breath dejectedly.

"Don't mumble under your breath at me young lady, or you can add another weekend of punishment." Anita chastised her with none too much sarcasm in her voice.

So this was what it was like to have a family, to constantly argue and rebel against, but at the same time, to have the constant love and support of your family? Akeeda meant the world to Orianna, and she wouldn't change the life she shared with her pseudo mother for anything in the world, but to be here with a different part of heritage that she had no idea existed, was an all new experience. She marveled at the interaction of Anita and Trixie, as they constantly went back and forth. It was a relationship that had been honed over years of constantly having the other there for support. Loosing Akeeda left a gaping hole in her life, but maybe, just maybe, this new life of her's could be what she was looking for to repair her broken heart.

Over the next hour or so, Anita showed Anna her family photo albums. There were tons of books, ranging from the time Anita was a baby, up until the time she meet her late husband Thomas. Orianna stared at the man that was her great uncle, with instant respect. He was a dignified man, tall and self assured. He had an almost hard edge to his eye that gave testament to the life of a young black man in those days. But regardless of all his physical attributes, Anita assured her that he was the sweets man ever.

Flipping through the album herself, Orianna came across a photo of a young Trisha Carter, being held lovingly by her mother, who was just an older version of Trixie. The resemblance was uncanny, how they both had the same smile, right down to the curly, slightly unruly hair. Trixie was quick to turn the page, while her cousin laughed and gushed at how cute she was. All the while Anita sat and watched the two, as they continued to go through album after album. Watching them brought a smile to the older woman's face, they reminded her so much of her and her cousin Marissa, Orin's mother. That thought alone spurred something deep within Anita.

The tragic loss of her dear cousin still weighed heavily on her heart. The death of her and her husband Orion on that cold winters night still wakes her up at night. A few days following their accident, Anita took custody of their son Orin, and raised him alongside her daughter Melanie. Thinking back to the days when she would see young Orin run out the front door so he wouldn't be late to school, still brought a smile to her face.

Her late nephew would have been so proud of the daughter that he never got to know. They were somewhat like, Orin and Orianna, though a lot of the girl's physical characteristic most likely came from her mother. But there were still some similarities; their smile for instance was almost identical, the way that a dimple would form on the left side of their cheek when they gave a real smile.

Anita let herself be swayed into her most melancholy mood of the day, letting herself reminisce and compare the girl before her, to the man that once was there. Soon melancholy gave way to somberness, and the image of her dear nephew laughing and smiling faded away, until she was only able to see his lifeless body in a coffin. He had died so young and unexpectedly, that it caught every member of the family off guard.

She could still remember telling Melanie about the death of her cousin, and the stress from losing him pushed her into early labor. Shaking the images from her mind, Anita was once again in the living room of her home, and Trixie and Orianna was still deeply enthralled in the photo album. Wiping the lone tear that had silently made its way down her cheek, Anita looked at the two with a soft smile.

"Orianna…" she said, with a slight rasp to her quivering voice. Even though the words were whispered, the girl was able to pick up on them.

"Yes Aunt Anita?" Orianna said, while laughing slightly at Trixie as they looked at a picture of her and Spud at their junior high prom. When her eyes made contact with her aunt's, the laughter died down and the smile immediately fell from her face.

"I have something I would like to show you." With that Anita made her way to the book shelf on the far wall in the leaving room. She had not taken down this particular book in years, for the pain of looking at it still brought tears to her eyes. After dusting the fine coat of dust off the book, Anita made her way to the couch and sat between Orianna and Trixie. What she was about to show the young woman was more than likely going to be very emotional and she wanted to make sure that she was close, just in case she needed someone to lean on. Anita handed the leather bond album to Orianna hesitantly.

"What's this?" she asked, with a confused look on her face. The book looked older than she was, but not in an un-kept way. Embroidered in gold on the front, bottom, right side was the name Orin. The gasp that she wanted to release was caught in her throat. When it came to her parentage, Orianna didn't know much about her mother, but she was able to get little pieces of information about her father from Akeeda.

"This was Orin's… your father's album. He would always take pictures of whatever location he was excavating at the time. There are even some baby pictures of him in there." She said with a slight sniffle.

Orianna delicately opened the tome into her father's past. This would be the first time that she would ever see her father, and she was slightly hesitant to open it. The very first page was an old sepia colored photo of a baby, with his hand in his mouth and a huge smile on his face. She was immediately able to recognize the smile; she had seen it on her face for as long as she could remember. Her father… this was her father, the man that she never was able to meet while he was alive, and only someone she dreamed of ever seeing. He was tall, just like Anita's husband, but that is where the similarities ended.

His face was kinder and more carefree than his uncle, he seemed to possess a gleam in his brown eyes, that made it seemed that he was full of life. He was a handsome man, but didn't seem like he was at all shallow. Page after page was filled with his image, excavation site after site, he was always somewhere new. China, India, Spain, South America… the locations seemed endless, but in every one of them, he looked as if he was truly in his element. She paused on one picture in particular. He was hunched over in a pit, and in the background was Mt. Kilimanjaro. His face was so intent on what he was looking at; he didn't even notice the camera only a few inches from his face.

She had wanted for so long to see what her parents looked like, and this gave her some insight into who she was. The raw emotions that she felt from seeing her father for the first time were overwhelming. She didn't even notice her eyes begin to blur from the tears that begin to fall. She sat motionless, while her tears coated the image of her father, and all at once the emotions completely consumed her. Her shoulder shudder with barely contained hurt from losing him before she even knew who he was.

Anita wrapped her arms around her niece, and smoothed her hair, while whispering in her ear that it would be okay. Trixie watched as Orianna cried in her grandmother's arms. She had only seen photos of her uncle a few times, and every time they were shown to her a person always cried. She remembered when her mother, Melanie, first showed her the pictures; it took an hour for her mother to stop crying.

The night was spent of Anita reliving tales of Orin as a young man to his daughter. There were more tears shed, but there was also laughter. Orianna couldn't keep from laughing when Anita told her of the time when Orin was fourteen and thought he wet his bed, when Melanie poured water on him. With each passing minute, Orianna could feel herself growing closer to the man she never knew. Hours seemed to pass like minutes, and soon it was almost 11'oclock.

"Alright girls… time for bed." Anita said, almost reluctant to end the moment that had passed between them.

"You right grams, I'm tired. I'll see ya'll tomorrow." Trixie said, rubbing her eyes and heading up the stairs.

Orianna held back for a few seconds. She didn't want the stories to end, but knew that it was far past the time for her to go to bed. She remained on the couch for a few brief moments, until Trixie ascended the stairs and was out of sight.

"Aunt Anita…"

"Yes dear?" Anita looked at the young girl. The look in her eyes gave away anything that she wanted to ask, before she even opened her mouth. "You know what… how about you keep that album in your room? That way you can look at it as often as you want."

"Really?" the excitement poured from Orianna's mouth. She wanted to ask her aunt for the book, but didn't know what kind of sentimentality the object held for the older woman, and didn't want to sound too forward. But hearing that it was okay to have it left her elated. Rushing over to Anita, Orianna captured the woman in a fierce embrace before giving her a kiss on the cheek, and bounding up the stairs in glee.

For hours on end, Orianna spent looking into her father's past, watching him in his young adult life, and his exploits around the globe. The last she looked at her clock, it was approaching 1:00am, and looking at it now, the hour hand was creeping it's way past two. Deciding that it was time for bed, she placed the album at her vanity and prepared herself for bed.

Dressing herself in a midnight blue camisole, Orianna bound her hair in a low ponytail, and pulled the veil canopy on her bed aside and slipped underneath the sheets. She could instantly feel her muscles relaxing, but her mind continued to swirl with the images of her smiling father. Closing her eyes, she tried to quell the overwhelming feelings so that she could get some rest before school tomorrow.

No more than a few minutes had past when Orianna begin to fall into a light sleep, until a whisper of a cry glided in through her open window. Her first instincts were to see what the noise was, but her body protested from fatigue and the need to sleep, besides, she was no longer in her home in Africa where there was barely any noise, this was New York, the city that never sleeps, of course there were bound to be noises that would set her senses flaring. Turing over onto her side facing away from her window, she buried her head beneath her pillow, and tried to go back to sleep.

Then the sound happened again, and this time she was sure that it had nothing to do with city noises. It was almost a cross between a moan and a sigh, but steeped in pain. Opening her eyes slightly and focusing as hard as she could, Orianna waited for the sound to happen again. She didn't have to wait long, as she was once again able to pick up on the distressful cry.

Pulling herself from her bed, she made her way to her window to see if she could get a look at whomever or whatever was making the sound, and if she was able to help. Looking below, all she could see was the fogged streets beneath her aunt's brownstone. The neighborhood was on the Upper East Side, so crime really wasn't that apparent her, and the streets were free of the less fortunate people who were homeless, so Orianna couldn't figure out where the noise could be coming from.

Shaking her head, Orianna began to figure that maybe it was just her imagination and that there was nothing out there. While walking back to her bed, the sound came again. Turning around sharply, she tried to pinpoint the direction of the cry. She needed a better look than what she had, so she leaned her upper body out of her window, and looked in both directions.

Nothing to the left, nor nothing to the right… this was getting ridiculous. Was she losing her mind? Had she been so out of practice for the last few weeks that she couldn't even decipher random noises from that of her training? Well first thing tomorrow she would try and find a secluded spot somewhere in this city and begin her training again.

Then something caught her attention, beyond the buildings and skyline, was central park. She remembered, not a week ago, she and Jake went walking through the park, but she never got to see the whole thing, since it was getting late. Then there it was again… the noise that had woke her up in the first place, but this time she was staring in the exact direction of the cry.

Tilting her head slightly, she closed her eyes and began to focus, allowing her mind to clear and let her sense completely take over so she could hear better, it was faint, but there was defiantly something out there, and it sounded hurt. What was she to do? All her life she felt an affinity to help those who couldn't help themselves, but this was not her home, she didn't know what kind of secrets this concrete jungle held, or if she would be able to handle them on her own.

But her nature wouldn't allow her to sit idly by, while someone was in that much pain and needed help. She had come to a decision… she would see what was happening and if she was in any position to help, then she would… no questions asked. She wasn't just going to run fool hardy into the night without some kind of plan though, first she had to make sure that if Trixie or her aunt were to come into her room for any reason that they wouldn't get suspicious that she wasn't there.

She thought back to a spell that Akeeda had taught her, it was to create a doppelganger to through off your enemies and to give you time to escape if need be. She hadn't quiet mastered the spell to the point that she could have complete control of her alternate self, but she would at the very least try. She focused her powers and called them forth, her eyes began to mist over with the sheer power needed to perform such a spell, she closed her eyes as the strain began to come and tiny droplets of sweat began to form on her brow.

Soon there was a soft pop and shallow light and when Orianna opened her eyes, she was staring at an exact copy of herself. She was amazed that she was able to perform the spell correctly this time, the first time she tried she managed to create a crater the size of a small room where she stood and managed to blow Akeeda a good twenty feet away.

Inspecting the clone to see that everything was in place, Orianna nodded her head at the perfection of her spell. Everything was in place, right down to the camisole that they both had on. The one drawback of the clone was that she couldn't infuse it with an actual personality, so in essence she was nothing more than puppet that did the bidding of the conjurer. In part, she could mentally link herself with the clone, that way she would be able to command it when she wasn't physically in its presence, but that was pretty much the extent of the spell.

With a mental command, Orianna instructed the clone to lay in bed a pretend to be asleep. Wordlessly the clone obeyed and walked over to the bed and settled herself in and feigned sleep. Now with that taken care of, Orianna prepared to leave and investigate the cry. Obstacle number two was a little more pressing, while home in Africa; Akeeda constantly stressed the point of maintaining her identity.

It was important to not let on that she wasn't just like any normal girl while in public, and that was in Africa, she knew that keeping that same mind frame here in America was even more important. Her physical features alone were enough to indentify her, her hair stuck out like a sore thumb, and if she was to run into anyone who would hold a grudge, they would be able to recognize her without a doubt.

She needed a disguise, a way to hide her identity, yet still allow her to be able to move freely. She remembered watching a movie the other night with Trixie that involved superheroes of some sort, which then gave her an idea of what she could use for herself. Again she focused, and the delicate material of her camisole began to sway in a breeze that didn't exist. Her clothing rippled, then began to melt away, until it resembled a mist of the same deep midnight blue. It was amazing; the feeling of power course through her, and it was like being reborn. When she opened her eyes, her camisole was gone, and a new outfit was in its place.

She was a little surprised by the design. Her imagination really must have gotten away with her, because the costume was a little more reviling than she would have originally expected. The top was a corset made of silver, which hugged her upper body lovingly. And the bottom was even more indiscreet, all it consisted of was a skirt with the front exposed and a pair of black underwear like shorts.

The boots… that's was one of the accessories that she really couldn't complain about. They went up a little past her knee and matched the silver of her corset top. All in all, she figured that Trixie would have killed for something like this, and would have told her that she needed to loosen up a bit and explore her wild side.

So she was set… she had everything she needed, well almost everything. Her disguise wasn't quiet complete with her hair and face still exposed. Walking over to her vanity, she reached inside and pulled out one of her many hair wraps. She had no use for them now that everyone had seen what was underneath, so in homage to her past she decided to once again don the object that was once used to hide her shame. Instead of wrapping it solely around her head, she also used the wrap to cover the lover half of her face, concealing everything below her nose from the world.

Tonight, a new chapter of her life would begin; she would be stepping from the role of sorceress in training, to a powerful sorceress in her own right. She hoped that she would be able to make Akeeda proud of her and to continue what was her birthright. She made her way to the open window and once again leaned over the edge. She wasn't very well going to walk all the way to the park, especially not at this hour.

Besides, it seemed like ages since last she took to the skies and flew amongst the clouds. She whispered on the breath of the winds a simple spell used to turn the light fog into a New England whiteout. Making sure that there was no one on the streets that would perhaps catch a glimpse of her, she place one hand on the window sill and her foot on the ledge, and with one last look back into her room, she leaped into the open air.

She focused, then a magnificent pair of pure white wings appeared on her back, and before she could reach the ground, with one powerful flap of her wings, she was airborne and heading in the direction of the park. She flew high about the city so as not to draw any attention to herself. She could just imagine waking up to the news saying something about a flying girl, which would really be great.

Flying through the air really made her feel at peace, she hadn't really gotten a chance to fly since the day that Akeeda told her she was dying, and now to get back in an element she felt most at ease with really took away some of the tension she didn't even know she had. It was liberating flying through and above the clouds, dipping and rolling; it allows allowed her a chance to get more practice in on how to maneuver.

Her flight, didn't take long, and before she really had a chance to full enjoy herself, she was above the park. She hovered overhead for a few seconds trying to see if the same noise would come again, but this time… and at this distance the noise was more pronounce and accompanied by a slew of other sounds. Orianna began to make her decent into the depths of the park, far off from the path.

When she got a few feet from the ground, she recalled her wings, and in a flurry of feathers, the once immense and elegant appendages disappeared. Landing, and still crouched in a defensive position, she waited to see if some unseen foe would rush out and attack her. When no attack came, she relaxed and began her search of the injured person.

With each step she took, the noise got louder. She was getting close, and she was almost able to feel it. Truthfully, she was able to feel a lot of things, for some reason this place felt different from the rest of the city. There was this palpable essence in the air that surrounded and penetrated her, it reminded her of the time Akeeda took her to the ancient grounds of the M'Krown.

It was a hollowed place, where Akeeda said not many got to set foot on, it was hidden deep within a wooded area, much like this park. The moment she set foot there, she felt this energy that felt almost alive, and she was extremely humble to have been able to visit. This was defiantly a place completely out of sorts here in New York.

Orianna let her ears guide her to her destination, while her eyes took in everything around her. This place was beyond secluded, it didn't look like the city officials really took that much care with the interior of the park, and left it to its natural beauty. After about ten or fifteen minutes, her walking to her into a clearing where few trees stood and the silvery light from the moon left scattershot rays of light in some areas and still allowed the shadows to play across others.

It was all so beautiful; this place almost commanded an atmosphere of tranquility. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound once more, but this time she didn't have to focus on where it was coming from. A few feet in front of her, she was able to spot the poor creature that was in so much pain.

It looked to be a horse, but upon closer inspection, Orianna was able to spot the horn rising out of its forehead. She had never seen a unicorn in her life, and really didn't expect to see one in her home in Africa. The closest this they had back home were the Shadowfax, the horse which ran with the wind, but they became fewer as time went by.

The creature was amazing, even when it was in pain, and Orianna was sure it was in pain. There was a cut on its side, and its blood was seeping through. She walked hesitantly over to the creature, careful not to startle it, once she was close, she looked it directly in the eyes, and seen so much within them. Who could do something like this to such a pure animal? Within its eyes, the unicorn began to convey its agitation, it didn't know who or what Orianna was and it was in no mood to want her anywhere near it.

Orianna pause in her steps, normally animals liked her. She had never come across an animal that didn't think of her as a friend. Once while she was training on the plains she came across a lioness on the hunt, at first she was scared out of her mind, thinking the thing would use her as its next meal. She was frozen in place with fear, and had no clue as to what to do.

But instead of the lion pouncing on her, it began to purr like a newborn kitten and calmly walked up to her and rubbed against her legs, shoving her slightly. Her legs had giving underneath her from the sudden lost of the adrenaline that she had not a few moment before, and when her knees hit the ground the lioness placed her head gently in her laps, closed its eyes and continued to purr softly.

She needed to show this unicorn that she wasn't a threat and that she just wanted to help. She looked down at what she was wearing and what her appearance must look like to the already wounded and frighten creature. She removed the part of the wrap that was covering her face, and the top of her head, reveling a few wisp of her snow colored hair.

The unicorn began to relax in front of her and she took that as a sign that it was okay to get closer. When she reached it and was able to look at its wound more closely, she noticed that the cut wasn't that bad. It was bleeding rather freely, but with proper care, the unicorn would make a speedy recovery.

She couldn't very well leave it here wounded like it was though. She really didn't know that many healing spells other than the binding spell, but she didn't think it worked with animals. There was one though that she knew. It was used only as a minor healing and probably would heal the wound completely, but it would at least be enough for the unicorn to move around without much pain.

Orianna placed her hands over the cut on the unicorn, and tried to remember the incantation need. Once she remembered the words the recited them and a small globe of light appeared beneath her hand and over the wound, and with a flash, the wound healed and the unicorn shot up onto its feet. It began thrashing its head about, it seem really agitated and scared. Whatever happened to it before Orianna had gotten there seemed to really scare the poor creature.

"It's alright; I'm not going to hurt you. Just calm down a minute and we can figure this out."

She tried using her soft tone, so as not to scare the unicorn even further. And almost immediately, it obey, she was somewhat thrown off by the creature going into such a docile state simply by her request; but thought it best not to question such a gift. There still was a slight hint of fear in the unicorns eyes, but it still remained focused on her. Orianna caressed the unicorns snout, trying to convey through touch that she wasn't going to hurt it. Her efforts seemed to be paying off, and almost every hint of fear was removed from its eyes.

"Now what's got you so startled?" she asked softly.

She really wasn't expecting an answer; she just assumed that talking to it would keep the animal calm. But then the unicorn did something that amazed her even more than its appearance in the first place, it seemed as though it understood her question and was trying to give her an answer. The unicorn began swing its head to the left on her and neighing, trying desperately to show her the reason for its agitation. Her brow creased as she tried to make heads of tails of what was going, until the unicorn began to physically push her in the direction he wanted her to go.

"Alright… alright, I'm going, what the big deal anyway?"

The unicorn continued to push her, past the shrubs of the surrounding woods and deeper in the forest. The deeper they went, the more Orianna noticed that there were a lot more going on in this park than she originally thought. Shouts and screams began to ring clearly in her ear with each step she took, and soon she was rushing forward without the aid of the unicorn. Something here was defiantly not right, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it all.

The walk through the shrubbery was a little disconcerting; it made Orianna wonder not for the first time, what was she doing? She had absolutely no idea what kind of situation she was getting herself into, but she couldn't stop now, not when potential innocents were being hurt. She finally made it to the source of the cries, and the image that greeted her left her at a loss for words.

A multitude of mythical and mystical creatures were all in a frenzy, all yelling and screaming, trying desperately to save themselves and their families. She watched from the shadows as a female gnome ran with her baby in her arms, trying to flee from a cloaked figure. It was just that the unseen figure was cloaked, but the way the cloak itself moved, it was almost like a bellow of smoke clinging to the shadowed figure. There wasn't just one, but about a two dozen of this shadow henchman, and all of them were trying or succeeding in capturing their targets. This had to stop…

* * *

A few miles away, on the other side of town, Jake Long was sleeping peacefully in his room. Tonight had been a really long night, hell, not just this night, but all the others for the past week. His mom and dad had made sure that he had plenty to do for the weekend, as punishment for him getting detention. He tried with everything he had to explain to them why he had detention in the first place, but they figured he had used every excuse in the book thus far, so they didn't give him an opportunity to give another one. He had spent a big chunk of the day at his grandfather's shop, stocking shelves and cleaning out the back room, which was filled with more junk the actual products to sale.

So it was pretty safe to say that he was dead tired when he finally made it home later that evening. He ate his meal and took a shower and went straight to bed, not bothering to get covered completely. He had been sleeping for a good thirty minutes to an hour, when his bedroom door was opened and the lights from the hallway flooded his room. Groaning angrily he turned his back to the door and buried his head beneath his pillow.

"Go away!" came his muffled shout from the pillow. He was too tired to yell at whoever came barging in his room, and if it was Haley, then there would be hell to pay come morning.

"Sorry kid, but you got work to do." That wasn't the voice of his annoying little sister, but it still wasn't enough to get him out of bed.

"Whatever it is Fu, I'll handle it later. I just really need to get some sleep."

Fu-dog made his way to the edge of Jake's bed, and shook his head. The kid had a lot to learn if he wanted to be the American dragon. Without another word, Fu yanked the blanket off of Jake, and left the teen exposed.

"What the Hell?!" Jake yelled suddenly awake.

"Aww kid… put some clothes on." Fu said while covering his eyes. Jake was in bed with nothing but his birthday suit on, and had Fu know the kid liked to sleep in the buff, he would have been more than happy to wake him from the door.

"It was hot, and I was too tired to even bother. What do you want anyway Fu?" Jake was blushing harder than he had ever done is his life. He pulled the blanket back over himself and glared daggers at the Shar Pei.

"You have business to take care of. There's been reports that some real creepy people are attacking the gnomes and other creatures in central park. You better get there and check it out." Fu said, still not facing Jake, because he didn't know if it was safe to look yet.

"It's past one in the morning! Can't this wait until sometime after the sun comes up? I do have school tomorrow you know."

"No can do kid, this sounds serious, and your grandfather wants you to check it out before something really bad happens."

"Fine… fine, I'll do it. Geez, a dude can't even get no sleep anymore with all ya'll hounding me. Give me a second to get dressed." Jake grumbled as he got out of bed.

It took him little over twenty minutes to make it down stair, mostly due to the fact that he laid back down for another five minutes after Fu left. When he did finally get down stairs, his mom and dad was already waiting. Ever since his dad found out that his son, daughter and father in law were actually dragons, he made it a point that anytime Jake had any official dragon duties to take care of, he and Susan were to be told.

Jonathan did what he always did when his son would leave to go on some kind of mission, he would huge his son tightly and tell him how much he loved him and how proud he was. Susan was a little bit more used to Jake flying off to defend the magical community of NYC, so she didn't fawn all over him like his father did. She simply kissed her son on the cheek and told him to be careful out there.

After saying goodbye and goodnight to his family, Jake dragoned up and took to the skies. This really wasn't what he had planned for the night, and he really wanted to get some sleep, but that option seemed to be thrown out the very same window, that he himself just flew out of. The night air did a little to wake him up, so he really wasn't that tired when he finally made it to his destination.

He had visited the gnome village a couple of times over the last few years, and the only problem that they ever seemed to have was a bothersome 88 and 89. He figured that was what the problem would be tonight, and he figured that he would really give it to those guys for making him get out of bed this late at night.

But when he walked into the clearing leading into the gnomes territory, his mirthful smile of what he was going to do to 88 and 89 vanished at the sight before him. The village was in ruins, houses were burned to the ground, and a few bodies of the fallen had littered the area. There was screaming that could be head, while women with their small children tried desperately to escape the wrath of the cloaked figures rounding up the ones that weren't dead.

This was insane… he had never seen such carnage on any of his other missions to the area. He watched as a young pair of gnomes ran towards him, fleeing the creature behind them. Flames flared from his nostrils in anger, and he immediately stepped between them and their attacker.

The two children rushed behind him and cowered, praying that the American dragon could save them from the fate that so many of their friends had suffered. The creature continued to advance, paying Jake little attention as he came closer to obtaining its prize. When the creature was in striking distance, Jake reached his claw out and grabbed what he thought was the creature's neck and held on with all his strength. He was pissed beyond words, and he was determined to show the son of a bitch just how mad he was.

"You picked the wrong city asshole." He growled a split second before he unleashed a fiery blast in point blank range, into the cloaked figure's face. There was an ungodly wail that the figure released, as it clawed at its face, trying desperately to extinguish the flames. Soon the robes that it was wearing caught fire, and in a burst of smoke, the creature was gone.

"Run into the woods and hide until this is all over, and don't leave for anything!" Jake ordered the kids, and they wordlessly obeyed.

Jake turned his sights onto the chaos in front of him. He began to count off one by one, the enemies that he would have to take on. There were no more than twelve or so of the creature, nothing more than he could handle, but there was one that seemed separate from the others. Unlink the rest, this one seemed to be female in origin, and more of its body was exposed, and from the looks of it, if this things weren't killing or capturing everything in sight, she would actually be kind of attractive. Never the less, this had to stop, and he would do everything possible to see that it did.

* * *

Orianna was getting a little winded trying to stave off some of the attacking figures. She had preformed spell after spell, and the strain was beginning to show. She had managed to take a few out with the EVITA ENIS, a spell that Akeeda taught her, but told her only to use when she felt she had no other choice, and right now, her options were limited. It was powerful, the spell, and it did its job perfectly, but the energy required to perform it was taxing. But still her enemy advanced. They had long since discovered that she was more than a threat… she was perhaps their undoing, so they took swift measures to be done with her. Two more began to come closer, and she readied herself for the attack.

It seemed as though they creatures floated on air, rather than walked, and it was hard to determine their movements based on the stances. She kept her eyes on both of them, not wanting to be caught off guard. The one on the left was the first to strike, and the speed at which it moved left Orianna with little time to react.

The shadow creature swung at Orianna with its clawed hand, causing her to duck swiftly. No sooner did she regain her footing from the first attack, the other creature rushed her. They moved like a pact of wild animals, while one was attacking and throwing their pry off guarded, the other was positioning itself for the next strike.

Her moves were getting sloppy, giving testament to the fact that she hadn't trained in the last couple of weeks. After this night, she would defiantly have to take some time and try and find a new spot to train, if she lived through this. She continued to dodge the onslaught of attacks by her foes, and with each passing second she was able to get a feel for the style. Her early assessment of them acting like a pair of animals wasn't really that far off base. When one withdrew, the other attack, now she had an idea to bring a end to this little game of cat and mouse.

She waited until the one closest to her made its advancement, she dodged it of course, but this time she improvised a bit. While rolling out of the way of the swing, she placed her hands to the earth and concentrated hard on the task at hand. Then without warning, the ground beneath the creatures shifted and formed the shape of a hand, grasping both of them firmly in its grip and lifting them several feet in the air.

This was a form of terrakinesis that Akeeda said was an extremely difficult art to master and Orianna had learned it within a year. But now that she had them, what would she do? It seemed that no amount of reasoning would affect these things, so she really had no choice but to make sure that this atrocity didn't happen again.

This would be the first time that she would perform this spell. She read about it will setting beside Akeeda hours before her death. It required its summoned to be at a level that could sustain the loss of a huge amount of power, and if the caster wasn't strong enough, the spell could drain them of the life force.

Normally she never preformed a spell without Akeeda teaching her everything she knew about it first, but Akeeda was no longer here, and she needed to learn to just in her own power and judgment, after all, that was one of the major lessons Akeeda tried to instill in her. Now wasn't the time to second guess what she had to do, it would take more than a few well placed spells that seemed to no longer work in this particular moment, she had to do something different, something that the creatures wouldn't expect.

Rising from the ground, Orianna brought her right hand to rest in front of her mouth. She extended only her pointer and index finger, and whispered the incantation needed. The tips of her fingers began to glow, and when she opened her eyes they were once again white. She pointed her right arm towards her left, and with a swift motion, she passed it in front of her body until it was fully extended to her right.

In the path that her arm made, a single straight white light was in its place. The light extended a good six feet in either direction and hovered there in place. She had done it, she had used her judgment to materialize the one weapon that she would need to end this. She reached out of the light that hovered almost wantonly in front of her, and when her hand made contact with it, the light began to peel away, and it its place was a pristine staff, with silver and gold patterns engraved over its length.

Something about the staff seemed so familiar to her, like she had done this all before, but now was not the time for nostalgia, she had unfinished business to attend to. She brought her mist colored eyes to bear on the aggressors of the innocent beings that lived her, and the anger that she displayed was almost foreign to her. She wasted no time, she rushed forward with a inhuman speed, and once close enough, she leaped into the air.

There was no way that she could jump high enough to be able land her hits, so she once again called on her power of terrakinesis, creating pillar after pillar, leaping from on to the other. Once she was close enough, she released the creatures from the stone grip. Taken aback by their sudden release, the creatures floated unaware that their end had come. Appearing above the dazed creatures, Orianna brought her staff down with one swift move, slicing them in half. She watched as each part of the creatures disintegrated before hitting the ground.

* * *

Jake on the other hand was making quick work of the five or so opponents. His flames seemed to be the natural thing used to kill them off. Once he finished with the last of his opponents, he surveyed the area and noticed that all the gnomes who weren't killed had escaped. When he turned around to check the other parts of the ruined village, he spotted the female was still standing. He wouldn't let any of them get away with what they had done. He took to the air and barreled full speed, while the female's back was turned to him.

Taking down the last of the shadow figures, Orianna released an exhausted sigh, summoning the staff was more draining than she had thought, but at least she was still alive. Before she was able to make a full turn, she was tackled from behind and sent flying into a tree. When she regained her sight, she was left stunned.

A dragon… a real life dragon was speeding towards her, with a look of death in his eyes. She could see that he was furious, and was intent of taking out his fury on her. Akeeda had told her the story of dragons and how the protected the magical world they were assigned. She figured that this area must have been his grounds, and she had just been mistaken for a trespasser.

Jake prepared the deliver the final blow to the cloaked figure, when at the last second, it dodge from the tree that his flames just engulfed. She moved pretty fast, and didn't respond to his attacks as the other ones did. It was almost like this one thought independently, and not just follows the same pattern of attack, he may have to get a little bit more creative with this one. He flew high into the air, readying himself to take another swing at the female, but when he came back down the figure was nowhere to be seen.

Orianna had to think of something before this dragon fried her to a crisp. If she could just figure out a way to slip out without him noticing her, then everything would be okay, but how? Soon an idea came to her; she would cause a distraction to lure the dragon away from her.

She spotted the dragon circle overhead, and then she decided to make her move. She began to run towards a small lake located in the middle of the park, when the dragon spotted her and began to make its decent. Everything was going to her plan, the dragon followed her blindly and when it opened its mouth to unleash another wave of fire, she was ready.

Jake opened his mouth wide, preparing to burn the thing to a crisp, and when he was about to send the hottest blast that he could muster, the cloaked figure gestured with her hands and caused a massive wave to water to head directly for him. He barley had any time to dodge but he managed to do so. While passing by the female, he managed to rack his claws across her midsection, breaking the skin. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard an almost human hiss of pain, and the fact that the creature was bleeding was a little suspicious, none of the others bleed.

Orianna nearly hollered in pain when the dragon made contact with her. She had thought that she had planned it better to where he would have gotten hurt, and neither would she, but the best laid plans seems to always have holes in them. But she did manage to create a perfect opportunity to escape. She used the rogue wave to keep the dragon occupied while she jumped into the air, calling forth her wings and disappearing into the night.

Jake was performing every maneuverability trick in the book to keep this wave at bay. Now he was sure that there was something different about this one, none of the others displayed this level of power. He was trying to come up with a way to get around this mountain of water and take out the thing who was controlling it, when all of the sudden the waved collapsed into nothing, and when he looked around for the figure, it was gone. This was one hella crazy night, which he was praying would never happen again. He would have to talk with Fu and gramps tomorrow about what happened, but right now all he wanted to do was sleep.

Orianna landed a little less agile that she would have wished, but the small scrape on her stomach was really starting to hurt. She had tried to be of some real assistance tonight and what did she get in return? Shadow monster hell bent on killing everything in sight, and one crazed dragon trying to kill her! There was nothing else that could go wrong on this night. Looking at her clock, she stood corrected. It was fifteen minutes past four, and she only had a few hours to get some sleep before school started. She would be extremely tired in the morning, but that would be something that she would have to deal with then.

To be continued…

A/N: Another chapter completed. It feels good to get some real work done, and I know you have been patiently waiting for the next update, well here it is. Sorry about any mistakes, I couldn't get in contact with my beta, or my back up beta, or my back up back up beta... hell I'm doing kind of bad in the beta department. I know I said in the a/n above that this chapter would be kind of short, but again, when I started typing, everything just started to flow. I told you guys that this chapter would be a little bit more action packed, so how did I do? I must admit that I'm writing this kind of late into the night, so that's one of the reasons that the action was a little more thought out, but next time it will be better, I promise. Please remember to leave reviews, they make me smile. :) and once again, until next time!!!


	8. The Morning After

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: Hey, guess what people, schools out! And you all know what that means… chapters will be coming out a heck of a lot more than they were before. I'm so excited about Christmas break, so much so that I decided to get a jump start on the updates. I really hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter, and for those who wished that some things would have happened differently, or that the story progress at a different speed, my words to you are to be patient. Not to be rude guys, but this is my story, and I realize that you want to help, but please let me have it move at the pace that I am comfortable with. If I was to do the slightest thing out of order or time, it would ruin the plot that I have set up. Give me time, and I promise that you won't be disappointed. Now with that Out of the way, I have a few thanks to give out. These are a lot, so I won't be able to give out individual shot outs, as much as it pains me. Here they are: **Anonymous 666, Alia, Junglefairy158, Riza-San, Luis4200, Srry, Mrmisstofolees, Morcelu**, and of course **Mr. Average**. I would also like to formally request that YFWE become my official beta for my American Dragon fanfics. With that said, on with the chapter.

**The Morning After**

Dawn seemed to have come a few hours earlier or at least it had to two individuals, who had spent the better part of the previous night, battling monster to protect the innocents of the magical community. Orianna was so tired that she didn't hear her alarm going off for the better part of twenty minutes. When she had arrived home last night, she crawled directly into bed, not bothering with the slight scrape to her side. Her costume, which actually doubled as her nightgown, was damaged in the fight last night, and was left with holes, scorch marks, and a few pieces of fabric missing. The rules of matter still applied when transforming your outerwear, so whatever happened to one, the other was identical. So instead of putting on another nightgown, she simply let the material dissolve into mist, as she made her way to the bed. The only thing left on her was a bra and panties set that matched the color of her old camisole.

Trixie had been up for little more than an hour, when she finally noticed that she had yet to see Orianna. This was a bizarre twist of events; considering it was normally Orianna who was up before she was. A thought formulated in her mind, thinking that she would get a lot of pleasure in 'waking' her dear cousin up. She walked softly to Anna's room, and without knocking, walked quietly in. She could see a mass underneath the sheets, the crown of Orianna's silver head, and she could also her light snoring.

She crept slowly towards Orianna's bed, and once she got close enough, she gently pulled the sheets away, revealing the sleeping face of her cousin. Even sleeping, the girl was beautiful. Her hair was slightly tussled and mussed, and when the light from the sun reached her eyes, her lip tugged slightly downward. With a soft moan, Orianna turned to her side, away from the sunlight. Trixie laughed slightly at Orianna's attempt to stay asleep, if she didn't wake her up now, then her grandmother would, and no one wanted that.

"Come on cuz, it's time to get up, you goin' be late for school." Trixie said, while gently shaking her cousin.

She had chosen not to give the poor girl a rude awaking, and opted simply to wake her up like any normal person. Orianna seemed to not notice anything, and her only response was a soft sigh before curling up deeper under the sheets. This was going to take more than Trixie thought. Who would have guessed that the chick could be that much of a heavy sleeper? This called for extreme measures, and Trixie had just the thing for it.

She went inside her pocket and pulled out her cell. Once she scrolled through the menus and found the application she was looking for, she placed the device directly by Orianna's ear and waited the few seconds for her plan to work. Only moments passed before the phone began blaring the music 'Paper Planes' by M.I.A. Orianna nearly feel out of bed when she heard the noise, and once she got her bearings, she turned to see Trixie talking on her phone.

"What's up baby, you called?" Trixie feigned ignorance with the other person on the phone. That other person just so happened to be her boyfriend.

"What are you talkin' bout Trix? You texted me and told me to call you, you said it was important." Spud said rattled. Trixie's text causing his mind to race, wondering what could have happened.

"Did I now? Oh well, it was nothin' sweets. I'll see you when I get to school." And before the boy could say another word, Trixie hung up. "Well it's about time you got ya ass up. Its past 7:00 and you ain't even ready for school yet. What's up with you chica, you stayed up all night or something?"

"Something like that…" Orianna pulled herself from being wrapped up in the sheets, and walked over towards her door.

"Oh Hell naw! Gurl you in nothing but ya bra and panties, and it sure as hell wasn't that hot last night." She walked over and grabbed Orianna by the elbow before whispering slightly in her ear. "Did you have some private time in here last night? Cause if so…"

Gaining the message that Trixie was insinuating, Orianna blushed furiously. "What! NO! Trixie I was just hot, get your mind out of the gutter."

"Hmmm, like I said before, it wasn't that hot out last night, but whatever. You need to get dressed, or we'll be late for school." With that Trixie made her way towards the door, and before leaving she called out to Orianna. "Next time, if you need any kind of help, I can loan you The Lone Ranger."

"Goddess, Trixie, that was beyond disgusting!" even though she was appalled, Orianna still couldn't keep the smirk off her face.

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That morning, Jake was once again woken up by someone entering his room. And as like last time, he only buried his head further into his pillow and dismissed the intruder.

"Come on Jake, mom says it time for you to get up. You'll be late for school, and she said if you get detention, you'll be grounded a lot longer than a weekend." Hailey said from the doorway. She had learned years ago not to go fully into her big brothers room when trying to wake him. She figured it would be safer delivering her mother's message from a distant, that way if Jake was in a bad mood, she would have more of a led when she ran.

"Hailey… if you don't get out of my room right now, I'm going to hurt you." he said from underneath the pillow.

"Alright then, it's your funeral." Hailey closed the door and left Jake to his sleeping.

Taking a deep sigh, Jake began to drift back into sleep. No sooner than he began to welcome the comforting touch of sleep, did his bedroom door swing open again. The new arrival stumped to his bed and forcefully pulled the pillow off his head.

"Hailey!!! I told you to get the Hell out of my room." Jake yelled and turned murderous eyes onto his offender. The sight that greeted him however caused all color to drain from his face, and his eyes grew two sizes.

"I do believe every room in this house is mine." Susan corrected with a stern look for him swearing. "I sent you sister up here ten minutes ago to wake you, and imagine my surprise when she said you were still sleeping."

Jake immediately got out of his bed, and tried desperately to explain things to his mom. "I know mom, but I'm just so tired. I didn't get home until like three in the morning, and all I want to do right now is sleep."

Susan looked sympathetically at her son. She knew being the American Dragon had to be tough on him, but she had always said that she wouldn't let his duties to the magical community effect his growing up, and that included him getting to school on time.

"I understand that Jake, but you still have to go to school. Also, your grandfather wants to talk to you about last night, so when you get off of school you need to head straight there." Susan watched as her son flopped dramatically on his bed, and grumbled and moaned, almost the same way he did as a child. She decided not to push the issue of him cursing earlier, and left the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Jake finally left the house, he only had fifteen minutes to make it to school or he would be late and facing not only another detention with Rotwood, but more grounding from his parents. Dashing through the front doors of the school, Jake just made it to class before the bell rang. Finding his seat next to Orianna, he fell unceremoniously into it. He turned towards her, about to say hi, when he noticed the fatigue on her face.

"Hey O', you alright? You look kinda tired." He said concerned.

When she turned her eyes on him, he noticed that the blue of her eyes looked a little dimmer than normal. But she still managed to put a smile on her face, and rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"You're one to talk Jacob; it looks as though you didn't even sleep at all last night."

There was no arguing there, he had barely gotten a few hours of sleep. But that was something that he was used to by this point, and he couldn't help but feel that she was dodge his question. Before he had time to question her anymore about it, the teacher walked in and the class started.

This school day was like any other, Calculus seemed to drag on forever, and the following class with Rotwood was no better. Orianna had to suffer through the man's insane ramblings about all the magical creatures that he had come across in his lifetime. She was so tired that she thought her brain would ooze out of her ear if she had to listen to anything else this man had to say. When the bell finally rung, she was the first one out of her seat and heading for the door, once inside the hall, she immediately spotted Jake heading towards her class to walk with her to their next one.

"Tough day?" he asked while stifling a yawn.

"You don't know the half of it. That man is completely out of his mind, you know that right? He spent the better part of class talking about everything but chemistry, and then at the last minute he decides to give us a mountain of homework." She fumed.

Jake laughed full out at the girl, he had never seen Orianna even the slightest bit angry and watching how agitated Rotwood made her caused the most amusing look to come to her face. Orianna on the other hand couldn't quiet see what was so funny about anything that she had just said, and looked at Jake in bewilderment.

"What… what's so funny?" she asked perplexed.

He couldn't bring himself to answer just yet; all he could do was laugh uncontrollably. This was what he needed to wake him up, to see someone who appeared always to be cool and collected, be brought down by Rotwood. People in the hall walked past staring at Jake and Orianna, silently wondering what could have been so funny that the boy couldn't stop laughing. Once he was finally able to get his laughing under control, he whipped the tear from his eye and tried to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just that you were so mad." He watched as she looked to him, slightly perturbed. "Has anyone ever told you how cute you are when you're mad?" he slightly pinched her cheeks when the blush became noticeable on her.

"Whatever… we better hurry before we're late for class, and you get another detention. I won't be there to save your butt if Mr. Dennison gives you another day of detention." She said walking away.

"Awww O' you don't want to spend time with me in detention anymore?"

Their teasing could be heard all down the halls. Once they reached their English class, Jake's mood once again sobered when he spotted Rose on the opposite side of the room. Orianna spent half of the classing staring between Jake and Rose; she could see that the two still had unresolved issues, and how it affected Jake so much. Not wanting to get in the middle of their relationship issues, Orianna decided not to question him directly, but ask Trixie what was the reasons for their animosity, besides them breaking up.

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Orianna and Jake met up with Trixie and Spud, before they all made their way inside the gym. In the changing room, Orianna ran across Ashley, the girl who previously removed her hair wrap. It had taken Trixie a lot of convincing, to make Orianna comfortable enough to not put the hair wrap on the following day of school. People were still thrown off a bit by the peculiar color of her hair, but after a while, no one really commented on it.

When Ashley spotted who had just walked into the room, she scoffed at the girl and made a disgusted face in her direction, that is until Trixie followed in directly behind her. It wasn't that Ashley was scared of Trixie; she just didn't want to get in another confrontation at the moment, not with her eye still sporting the bruise from their last encounter. Turning her back, Ashley stormed out of the dressing room, being trailed dutifully by Lindsey.

"Talk about the blind leading the blind…" Trixie chucked as she walked to her locker and removed her gym clothes.

Orianna didn't respond, she simply walked to her locker and began removing her clothing. Once she had taken off her pants and put on her gym short, she began to remove the purple cotton t-shirt that she had put on that day. Since she began wearing her hair exposed, she tended to wear it in a loose bun, so that it wouldn't get in her way during the day. The only problem with that was that whenever she had to remove her shirt, it would always get stuck on her collar.

Trixie heard the grunt of Orianna and turned to see what her problem was, and when she saw her fighting to get her shirt over her head, she fell out laughing. Watching Orianna fight with her clothes, Trixie also noticed a long scratch across the other girl's abdomen, one she hadn't remember seeing before.

"What happened?" Trixie questioned, making her way over towards Anna.

"My head got stuck in this stupid shirt!" Orianna said, after she finally got her head out.

"That's not what I mean. What happened to your side?" for emphasis, she ran her fingers down the jagged cut. It almost looked like she was scratched by a cat, and a rather large one at that.

"Oh… I must have scratched myself." She mentally kicked herself for not remembering to heal that before she left the house this morning. She had been in so much of a hurry that she didn't even notice the dull pain that it still made whenever she moved.

"On what, a meat clever, that thing's deeper than the Mississippi River!" Trixie exclaimed.

"There was a nail on my door frame and I bumped into it last night, it's nothing really." She said while quickly pulling on her gym shirt. "Anyway, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead and shot." Trixie began to make her way out of the dressing room and into the gym.

"What's the real story behind Jake and Rose? It seems as though he can't stand her and she's doing everything she can to make amends with him."

"It's a really long story; one I don't feel is my place to speak on. You'll have to ask Jake that question yourself." Trixie then turned to Orianna, and looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you ask anyway?"

"I-I was just wondering is all, I didn't mean anything by it."

The way Orianna stumbled on her words and the awkward expression on her face, made Trixie's eyes light up with glee. She knew there was something between her cousin and her best friends, even if neither one of them would admit it. There had to be a way to get the two of them together, she always did say she was a great matchmaker, and what better people to make happy than her cousin and friend.

Today's activity in gym class was a two mile run outside on the training grounds. By the end of class, none of the students were able to feel their legs, and a few even complained that their butts were numb. During lunch, Jake, Trixie, Orianna and Spud all sat together once again, talking about what they did over the weekend.

"Pssh, not like we got to do anything, grams punished us for getting detention." Trixie said sullenly.

"And I missed my baby to."Spud tried to brighten her mood by giving her a playful kiss on the check.

"Yea, my parents did the same thing. They made me work at gramp's shop all week. Then to top it all off I had to fight…" Jake immediately caught himself. He was so used to it being only him, Trixie and Spud that he almost slipped in front of Orianna. "…them to let me off this weekend." He covered his earlier slip up, hoping Orianna didn't notice.

Trixie and Spud looked at him pointedly, catching what he was trying to say, and saliently agreeing to talk about it later. Orianna watched as the others communicated with their eyes, and got the distinct impression that they were trying to keep something from her. It didn't matter though; they were entitled to their secrets, just as she was entitled to hers. If today's gym class taught her nothing, it was that she was far beyond rusty when it came to training. She would have to find a secluded spot to train, and soon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After lunch, the group parted ways and headed to their respective class. The rest of the day pretty much flew by after lunch, Orianna had meet with her piano teacher, and the two had a productive lesson. She was really getting the hang of the piano, and found that it relaxed her. Drama class was a little less relaxing. The teacher informed them that they would soon be entering the part of the class where they would have to do individual and duet monologues, something that Jake and Orianna wasn't particularly looking forward to.

On the way out of class, Orianna fumbled with the text books in her hand, with the amount of homework from calculus and the lines from the skit Mrs. Belew gave them, she was having a hard to carrying them all.

"Here let me get that for you." Jake grabbed the books from her hands and stuffed them in his backpack.

"I still can't believe Mrs. Belew wants us to actually do skits. I knew I should have switched class sooner." Jake griped as the two made their way out into the hall.

"It's not that bad, at least we got paired to do monologues together." Orianna said reassuringly.

Jake brightened at the comment, that part was true, they would get to do a part together. Over the last few weeks, he had been getting closer with Orianna, which would normally be cool, considering he had no girlfriend at the time, but this was different. He didn't want to rush into anything at the moment, and especially not with a friend, a friend with one crazy ass cousin.

"True, true, I guess that is one good way of looking at it." He said, while draping an arm over her shoulder. "So what do you have planned today?"

"Uh…" she had to think fast, but without giving some lame excuse to what she would be doing. "I have to meet with the Zimbabwean Embassy; there are still a few documents I have to sign."

"Oh, well maybe we can meet up later this afternoon, you know, me, you… and of course Trixie and Spud." He tried to be noncommittal with his statement.

"Yeah… sure we can do that. Hey would you mind telling Trixie where I went, I don't want her to get worried or anything?"

"Yeah, I got ya ma…" Jake watched as Orianna began to walk in the opposite direction before he called out to her. "And be careful."

"I will." She waved back cheerfully, before disappearing into the crowd.

Jake waited the few minutes it took for Trixie and Spud to come through the door, and meet him on the sidewalk.

"It's about time." he called to the overly affectionate couple as they made their way towards him.

"Sorry dude, we got a little caught up." Spud said.

"Yeah, I bet." Jake said sarcastically.

"Aww was poor Jakie-boi lonely?" Trixie teased as she playfully pinched his cheeks motherly. "If mama Trixie knew that, she would have been here first thing."

"Ha ha, funny Trix, come on, we have to go to gramp's place, I still got to tell you guys about what happened last night."

"Hold up, we have to wait for Anna." Trixie stalled. There was no way that she would leave her cousin to walk home by herself, her grandmother would kill her if she did.

"Naw, she said something bout going to the embassy to sign some papers." Jake informed her.

"What? She didn't say anything bout doing that earlier. I wonder why she didn't tell me, or ask me to go with her?" Trixie questioned. Orianna had been acting a little strange since that morning, and something in her gut told Trixie that there was more to this than he cousin was letting on.

"She probably just forgot, come on baby, let's go." Spud began to pull Trixie in the direction of Jake's grandfather's shop.

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During the walk over Trixie barely paid attention to anything that the guys were saying. Her mind kept going back to why Orianna hadn't told her about the embassy? She had to know that she would go with her. Trixie was so engrossed in her thinking that she didn't even notice that they had made it to the shop. Out of all the things that had changed over the years, this place was one of the few things that stayed the same.

The back room was still overstocked with boxes that seemed as though they hadn't been opened in years, collecting a fine layer of dust. The store was an antique shop, but in actuality, the entire store could be considered an antique. Walking in behind the boys, Trixie was brought back to reality when Fu came from behind the counter, locking the door behind them.

"It's about time you kids got here. Jake your grandfather is waiting in the back for you to tell him about what happened last night. From the reports that we got, it wasn't pretty." Fu said slightly angry.

Jake became just as serious as his friend when he remembered the reason why he was here, and the events that transpired last night. The group made it to the back room, where Lao Shi waited patiently for their arrival.

"You're here, good, now let's get down to business. What happened last night Jake?"

This was the Lao Shi Jake was used to, always down to business and no nonsense. Jake stood before his grandfather, while Trixie and Spud took sets in the few chairs littering the room. Fu made sure that all the doors had been closed and locked, a precaution so that no one would overhear them.

"It was a massacre. By the time I got there, almost all of the gnomes and other magical creatures had already been killed."

This only confirmed what Lao Shi already knew, he had gotten the reports earlier about the devastation in the park. He had hoped that the reports were over embellished, but the facts remained that everything that was stated was true.

"Tell me everything." Lao Shi said disheartened.

"There was all this screaming, and blood was everywhere." Jake began. "The entire village was under attack by these… these, hell I don't know what to call them. Whatever they were, they weren't human. I couldn't see any part of their faces, and they wore these robes."

Fu was at the table, searching through one of the many books that he had on magical entities. He wasn't sure if he would find what he was looking for, but anything would help at this moment.

"They were just attacking for no reason, they didn't take anything or make any demands, it just seemed as though all they wanted to do was kill." Jake's mind recalled the scene when he first got there. "Even children, it didn't matter."

"Is there anything else you can remember about them when you fought them?" Lao Shi said.

Jake thought back to his fight with the mysterious creatures, trying to think of anything that he could remember to relay to his grandfather and Fu.

"They moved like they were floating, and they didn't seem to like fire that much." Jake informed.

"Wait…" something about moving like they floated and the fact that they hated fire sparked something in Fu. He flipped quickly though the book, before turning to the page that he was looking for. "The Nargali, they were known as the harbingers of death. In ancient times, they would roam the earth killing, trying to fill the ranks of the Egyptian god of the underworld Sokar. Legend says that they disappear over two thousand years ago."

"Well how come Jake was fightin' them in the middle of Central Park?" it was the first time Trixie spoke since entering the antique shop.

"Yeah, if they've been extinct since then, what are they doing here now?" Spud added.

"I said they disappeared, not extinct. You kids need to open your ears." Fu said while closing the book. "Besides, who's to say that's what Jake was fighting?"

Lao Shi turned to his grandson, watching as he sat there with a faraway look on his face. He could see that something was troubling the young man.

"What's wrong Jake?" Lao Shi knew the answer was obvious, but was trying to get his grandson to talk.

"There was something else, one of the monsters didn't act like the rest."

"What do you mean?"

"She seemed more independent, like she had her own thoughts."

"She… how do you know it was a girl?" Trixie asked from across the room.

"It was shaped like a girl… I don't know, I just get this felling. And it was a lot stronger than the others, it throw a wave of water at me, right before it escaped."

"That doesn't sound like a Nargali to me. They mostly tend to deal with death, not elements." Fu said.

"I think we may be dealing with something far worse than we are aware of. I will talk to the Dragon Council and see if there is any information we are lacking." Lao Shi said, while the others looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Ight ya'll I got to get home, grams may be worried by now, especially since Anna went home by herself. I'll catch ya'll later." Trixie said, as she began to collect her things.

"I'll be there later to pick you up for our date." Spud said, giving her a quick peck on her cheek.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After leaving Jake earlier that afternoon, Orianna began to look for a place to train. Though New York was a huge city, it had few places that a person can go and not be seen. Every place she tried turned out to be a letdown. She had tried the shipping district, but came up with nothing. She also tried the warehouses that she came across, but every place was being used, either by the cityor by the homeless.

She was about to give up, when an idea struck her. There was a whole community of magical creatures living right in the middle of New York. If they could live there and not be noticed by the general public, then why couldn't she train there? There was only one problem, after last night, she didn't quit think that it would be appropriate to show up there and begin training. Some of the locals would surely be there, collecting what remained of their once peaceful homes.

At this point though, her options were limited. She had nowhere else to go for practice, and she was in desperate need to brush up. So the park it would be, she just had to make sure that she was very discreet and careful not to offend the locals there.

She was glad to see that the park wasn't that busy when she arrived. There were a few cyclist and runners, but not enough to worry of being seen. Walking a few feet on the path, she quickly slipped into the brush leading deeper into the woods. Once she thought she was deep enough, she scanned the area to make sure that she wasn't encroaching on any territories.

The overwhelming presence of magic slammed into her senses once again. It was amazing to have so much power in a relatively small area. This would be a great place for her to train, she had everything she would need, open space for her to move around in, a small pond for her to practice water manipulation, and of course the seclusion she needed. She closed her eyes and focused, and as before, her clothing began to melt away, and in its place was the outfit she had worn the previous night. She was slightly surprised when she noticed that it was the same color. She had assumed that since the original garment was midnight blue, black and silver, that was the reason the outfit took that color, but now she wasn't so sure.

She shrugged nonchalantly, not really caring one way or the other, just as long as her identity was hidden from the world, she was fine. She pulled the piece of fabric used to cover her face away from her mouth. She was only missing one thing, her staff. The weapon felt so right in her hands when she used it last, so much so that now she felt awkward without it. She placed her fingers to her mouth as before and spoke the words needed. Following the same movement she did the other time, Orianna watched as her new weapon came into existence.

"Perfect…" she watched as the glow around the staff slowly ebbed away. The power it possessed was intoxicating, leaving her lightheaded with anticipation. She pulled the face piece back into place, and began to twirl the staff in her hand. This was going to be an extreme practice, there was no doubt about that, but she had never been more excited about a practice match in her life.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Trixie finally made it home, she was surprised to find that her grandmother wasn't already there. She had already prepared a pretty good excuse for why she hadn't come home with Orianna, so it came as a shock to not have Anita there yelling at her. She thought not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and made her way upstairs to her room. Before making it to her room, she thought she would pop into Orianna's room and let her know that she was home. Trixie knocked and wait for a response, and when none came, she knocked again. Still there was no answer, and soon curiosity began to get the better of her.

"Anna, it's me Trixie. If you in there and you doing private things, let me know, or I'm coming in." she thought that she would give the girls a chance to protest, but as before, there was no response. "Alright, I'm coming in."

She covered her eyes before opening the door, just in case she was walking in on some private time. To her amazement, the room, like the rest of the house, was empty. This left her confused, Jake had told her that her cousin was simply going to the embassy; she should have been back by now. Unless… unless something had happened. She swiftly turned around and began running down the stairs, two at a time.

"I knew I should have gone with her." She began to berate herself.

This was all her fault, she shouldn't have let her go on her own, she should have made sure that she was alright, before going to Jake's grandpa's store. If something happened to her cousin, she would never be able to forgive herself. And what would her grandmother say? By the time she made it to the door, she already had her phone out, and preparing to called Spud so he could help her look for Orianna.

When she opened the door, she bumped into something or someone as the case may be. Her first thought was that it was her grandmother, and how she would explain to her that she had no idea where Orianna was. She was surprised, no elated, to see that the person she had ran into, was the person she was desperately looking for.

"Orianna! Thank God, I was worried sick about you." She said as she embraced the other girl while she was still on the floor.

Orianna was lost. She knew that she had come home far later than she hoped, but she wasn't expecting this type of greeting. She began to pull away from Trixie, slightly winching from the dull pains from her muscles and the scratch from earlier.

"What are you talking about, it's not that late, and we just seen each other this afternoon." She said as she pulled herself from the floor.

"Where were you?! I come home and you're nowhere in sight. I thought you was in some kind of trouble." Trixie said somewhat angrily.

"Didn't Jake tell you? I had to go sign some papers at the embassy. I told him to let you know for me." She said slightly miffed that he had forgotten to tell her.

"He did tell me, but I thought you would have been home by now. We have got to defiantly get you a cell phone, that was enough to give me a heart attack."

Both girls had a laugh, happy that nothing had happened. They both made their way upstairs. Trixie told her that she was sorry for not going with her to the embassy. Orianna waved off her apology, saying that it was noting important and to forget about it.

"Well, I'm bout to get ready for my date with Spud. Grams should be home soon, though I thought she would have already been here." Trixie said from Orianna's bedroom door.

"You don't remember? She said she would be pulling a double and wouldn't be home until later this evening. She left us money to order some food tonight." Orianna said.

"Oh yeah, hell I forgot all about that. Anyways, I should be getting ready." She started walking out of the room, before turning around. "And I was serious about that cell phone. First thing after school, we going get you hooked up."

"Alright, alright, I understand 'mom'" Orianna took to teasing her, knowing that the other girl was dead serious.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took Trixie about an hour for her to get ready for her date with Spud. She looked over herself in the mirror, before nodding her head in approval. The doorbell sounded, and Trixie hastily put her earring in.

"Peace out Anna, I'll be home later." She yelled as she made her way down the stairs to answer the door.

When she opened the door, Spud stood there dressed casually but still chic. He wore a simple black t-shirt with a blood red hand print on his left chest. He also wore faded blue jean pants that fell slightly off his hips in a skater boy way. The package as a whole, and in conjunction with his hair being pulled back in a high ponytail, left Trixie practically drooling on the steps

"Damn baby-boi, you tryin' to make me hot or what?" she asked as she pulled her boyfriend into the house.

"Naw babes, just tryin' to keep up with you." He said suavely as her pulled her in for a slow kiss.

The two stood there for a long time, exploring the others mouth as the kiss continued on. Neither one could say for how long they stood there, and they probably would have stay longer if it hadn't been for the knock that came to the door.

"Dammit…" Spud mumbled, while he slowly pulled away from Trixie's soft lips.

"We'll pick this up later." She said huskily as she walked past him and to the door. "Jake, what are you doing here?" Trixie was surprised to see him there; she would have thought that he still would have been to his grandpa's shop, trying to figure out the latest mystery in the magical community.

"I forgot to give O' her books after class. She was complainin' about the homework she had to do, so I figured I'd bring 'em to her." He indicated the books for emphasis.

"Oh, well she upstairs in her room, second door on the left. Me and Spud bout to shot out, we have a date. Oh and Jake, make sure you lock the door on your way out." She didn't even wait for him to respond as she pulled Spud out the door behind her.

Jake stood there, mouth hanging open. He had hoped that he could just give the books to Trixie, since Orianna wasn't the one to answer the door. Now he had to go upstairs and give her the book himself.

"O'…. you here?" he called out into the house. He waited to see if she would say anything before he tried again. "O'… it's me Jake, I have your books." Still no sound came.

He began to climb the stairs, slightly hoping that she would meet him before he made it all the way up. When he reached the top, he looked down the hall; trying to remember which door Trixie said was Orianna's room. Second door to the left, was what she had said. The palms of his hands had begun to get sweaty with each step he took. For some reason he was nervous, but couldn't quit put his finger on why.

Swallowing hard, he raised his hand to the door and softly knocked. Instead of a knock, the door gave way and began to slowly open. He froze in his spot as the door opened several inches, revealing a sliver of Orianna's room.

"O'…" he whispered. When it still seemed as though she hadn't heard him, he slowly opened the door wider. He knew that he maybe shouldn't have entered her room, but it didn't seem as though he had any other options.

When the door was fully opened, he got his first look at the inside of Orianna's bedroom. Unlike most girls, it wasn't covered in pink and layered with lace on every surface. Instead it had a more mature feel it to. The different shades of brown made the room seem warmer, and the dark midnight blue undertones leant the room a more serene feel. The window on the far left wall was raised, letting in a slight breeze from outside, rustling the sheer curtains.

He hesitated, before walking further into the room. Something about it seemed to just draw him in, and put him at ease. It was the same feeling that he got when he was around Orianna herself, which was a revelation that didn't go unnoticed by him. Then a sound came that stopped him dead in his tracks. It came from the bed, that until that very moment, he hadn't noticed. The four poster bed further enhanced the maturity of the room, and the soft delicate canopy draping it brought a famine touch to it.

But it was what was in the bed that made his breath catch in his throat and his mouth go dry. Lying on top of blanket, with her small feet tucked together and on her side, Orianna rested peacefully. Her untamed silver white hair was wildly spread over her pillows, while a few of the strands rested delicately on her serene face.

As if on their own, Jake's feet carried him to the sleeping girl. Looking at her lying there so peacefully brought a soft smile to his face. She looked so beautiful, and not simply in a physical way. Watching her seemed to wrap him in an almost tranquil state. He had the strong urge to simply lay there with her, both of them at peace in the other's arms. But that was a step that he was sure that he wouldn't take. He couldn't imagine her waking up and finding him standing over her. She would think he was some kind of freak.

He placed the book on her nightstand, before turning back to look at her face. The smile returned, and he couldn't stop himself from at least touching her. He brushed the few stands of hair that was on her face, and let out a slight chuckle as she twitched her noise and sighed softly. But what she did next caused a shiver to run down his spin. When his palm slightly cupped her cheek, she ever so slightly leaned into his touch and gave another soft sigh.

He couldn't be sure if she did it simply because she was tired or because something else, but he was sure that he wouldn't stay any further to see. He had already invaded her privacy as it was; he didn't want to alienate her any further. Soundlessly, be backed out of her room, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. He didn't want to look away just yet; he wanted to see her for just a few seconds more.

When he closed the door, he leaned against it for a few seconds. His legs had suddenly gotten weak, and if he didn't get some support he thought they would have given out completely. After gaining strength back in his legs, he made his way down stairs and out the front door, but not before locking it. Making his way down the street, he shook his head trying to clear his mind of the image of Orianna sleeping, realizing that it wouldn't be that easy, a huge smile came to his face.

"You are so whipped." He said to himself as the smile turned into a laugh.

Upstairs in her room, Orianna slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the books resting on her desk and smiled softly. She had sensed someone in her room a few seconds after the door was opened. When she seen who it was, she could think of nothing to do but lay there. She knew he would be embarrassed if she had asked what he was doing, so she pretended to still be asleep. What she wasn't expecting him to do was walk over to her bed.

She was pleasantly surprised when he gently removed the hair out of her face, and her response was nothing short of involuntary. The soft caress of his hand made her heartbeat race, but at the same time set her soul on fire. There was so much that she got out of that simple touch, that it brought an instant smile to her face. She closed her eyes again, with the same smile on her face. She snuggled up to her pillow and let the emotions lull her back to sleep, and hopefully give her pleasant dreams, like the one she was sure she just lived through.

_A/N: wow that chapter came a little easier than I thought. I will admit that I was having problems with it when I first started, but I think I did an okay job. What do you think? I'm sure I'll find out in the reviews and I hope you all enjoyed. Oh by the way, if any of you want to see what Orianna looks like in her battle outfit, you should check out my author's page. There's a link to my deviant account on there, labeled 'On Angel's Wings', that's the one of just her. You should also check out the ones I have of her and Jake, those are pretty cool to. Thanks again for all those who read, and rest assure that the next update is sure to follow quickly. Until next time._


	9. Enemies to Friends

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: Don't get to angry with me guy, but I wasn't able to add more chapter updates as I had hoped, ah sais la vie. Though I do have good news for those of you who like my writing, a while ago I posted a poll on my author's page, questioning which category I should write next. While my poll gained little notice, I have been quietly contemplating my future endeavors. With that said, I have decided to add two more stories to name, one in the Inuyasha category and another in the Justice League category. Though neither of these news stories will affect the posting of this one, there will be an increase in time of posting, but not much. Also a little heads up, this story is slated for a sequel, or rather two as the case may be, so anyone who thought that it would end with this, you're dead wrong. When the time comes, I'll let you know what you will need to do to keep up with the sequel. Thanks for taking the time to read this author's note, and I thank all of those who have reviewed thus far.

**Enemies to Friends**

Weeks had passed since Orianna took up her training once more, and if she was honest with herself, she missed it. She missed the thrill and rush of power that she got whenever she performed a spill. She missed the way the air caressed her body as she floated amongst the clouds. She was even beginning to miss the aches that her muscles would get after an intense practice. Day in and day out, she would spend hours training in her new getaway. At first a few of the locals were not happy when they found her, it turned out that she was in the part of the woods that belonged to the unicorns. When she was initially discovered, the majestic animals charged her with haste, using their horns as spears. She had received more than one glancing blow that day, but fought desperately not do any harm to the creatures themselves.

By chance, the fabric concealing her face had slipped off, reviling her silver mane of hair. As the unicorns charged to deliver their final blow, one lone unicorn stood in their way, blocking its kin from killing the young girl. The others neighed in anger, trying to get their brother to step aside so that they may deal with the intruder, but he remained unmoved. Orianna sat stunned as her protector bashed his head from side to side, rising on its hind legs, trying to intimidate the others.

She couldn't figure out why this creature was trying so vainly to protect her. Why wasn't it trying to do away with her like the others? Then that was when she noticed it, the creature had a slight abrasion on its side. A wound only half way healed, still showing the signs of recent trauma. She looked into the beast's eyes and, and recognition sent in. This was the unicorn that she had come across that faithful night, and by the way he fought to defend her, she could tell that he had recognized her as well.

After that incident, the other unicorns made no attempt to attack her again, and the one that had potentially saved her life became a constant fixture during her trainings. The unicorn remained constantly vigil during her training, not allowing any of the others to even approach her. He reminded her of an over protective guard dog, watching over its master, protecting them from danger. After an increasingly tiresome session, Orianna landed beside the creature, stroking its mane softly.

"You've been quit the protector haven't you?" she asked in a gentle tone.

With eyes as old and wise as time itself, the creature stared down at her, conveying with his eyes what he could not say. Though words were not needed, she understood that he was trying to repay the favor, providing her protection in return for her restoring his life. A bond had been shared that day, one of immense gratitude, on both sides.

That was weeks ago, and as time went by, maintaining her secret life became more and more difficult. After the last incident, when Orianna hadn't returned home before Trixie, the outspoken teen began to keep constant tabs on her cousin. The following day, Trixie remained true to her word, after school had let out; the first place that the two had visited was the closest cell phone company. Orianna had insisted that it wasn't necessary for her to get a phone, but Trixie was having none of it.

During the day, after school, Orianna needed to train, but found it increasingly difficult to remove herself from her cousin's ever watchful eye. Trixie demanded to know where she was going and when she would get back at all times. It was worst than having an overzealous mother, but Orianna knew she did it solely out of love. In the beginning she would tell Trixie that she had piano lessons after school, which for a while was true. But when the day came that Trixie offered to sit in and wait for her to finish, Orianna decided that that option was no longer opened to her.

Though there were brief respites. Once Trixie had made it into high school, she had finally given in to Spud constant request to join the cheerleading squad. Spud had made the basketball team this year and practically begged his girlfriend to offer him some morale support. At first Orianna thought that her cousin would slap the boy's head off for suggestion something so foolish. So imagine her surprise when Trixie offered a sly smile before saying she would give it a shot. Come to find out that at some point during their junior high days, Trixie was actually on a team before. That was something that Orianna couldn't imagine, considering Trixie annoyance at almost everything girly.

So when Trixie was off practicing her cheers, Orianna was off practicing her skills. On more than one occasion, Trixie wasn't Orianna's only obstacle. Her Aunt Anita, when she was given the day off, wanted to spend some time to get to know her niece better. Being raised as she was, Orianna couldn't deny her request, and actually took joy in spending time with the older woman. The two had spent many an afternoon, simply talking about anything and everything.

Orianna had learned a great deal about her father's childhood, even the embarrassing stories that she was sure he wouldn't wish to be retold. It was fun spending time with her aunt, and getting to know relatives, through stories, she had yet to meet, though it seemed that would soon be corrected. The Thanksgiving holiday was coming up, and Anita had phoned all of her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephew, telling them all to come down to spend the holidays as a family.

Orianna had a mixture of joy and apprehension about the discovery that all her paternal relatives would soon be joining them for the holidays. She had no idea how they would respond to her or if they would respond at all. Trixie on the other hand was ecstatic beyond words; her mother would be coming in from Europe to spend the holidays with her daughter. It had been six months since Trixie last seen her mother.

After Trixie had entered high school, her mother, Melanie, had moved to Paris to design for some of the top names in the business. She still called and wrote her daughter every chance she got, and even sent high end clothing from her jobs, but that didn't substitute for a mother. Not having her mother around was hard for Trixie in the beginning, but with everything else, she got over it. Her mother and father separated during her seventh grade year, and she hadn't heard much from her dad since. During Christmas time he would send her gifts and cards filled with money, but that was it, no phone calls, no letters, no 'baby daddy loves you', no nothing.

The Friday leading up to their thanksgiving break was a blur to everyone involved. The school's football team was reaching its tenth consecutive win, bringing them into the semi-finals, which meant Trixie would be even busier with her practices. Spud wasn't disappointed though, that just meant that he would be spending more time practicing his jump shot while his baby was practicing in the gym. It seemed like everyone had an after school hobby besides Jake. Orianna knew what she would be doing after school, and that was training, but she had no clue as to what Jake did during his off time.

The days following his unexpected visit into her room left Orianna slightly confused as to the nature of her and Jake's relationship. While she would admit that she had feelings for him, she couldn't quit tell if the feelings were mutual. At times she would get the impression that Jake was interested in her, but soon he would put forth a more jovial tone to his voice, to where she didn't know if he was serious or joking half the time. When she had arrived at school the next day Jake was nowhere to be found. Normally they would walk to class, since they shared the first one, but not today. When she made it to the class room alone, she spotted him sitting at his desk, head bowed looking over some scribbled notes in his tablet.

When she tried speaking to him, his only replay was a muffled hello. It wasn't like he was the only one who felt awkward; he did come into her bedroom after all. She thought it best to simply let the process happen slowly, he would get over whatever it was when he was ready. Though not having him to talk to during classes were almost unbearable. The dynamics of their relationship had changed so abruptly that even Trixie and Spud began to notice. During their lunch period, both Spud and Trixie agreed that they would get some answers out of their friends.

"Jake, man, what's up with you lately?" Spud asked as the two made their way down the hall leading to the cafeteria.

"What?" Jake attention snapped back at his friend's question. He had been thinking about how stupid of a move it was to go barging into a girl's room, and while she was sleeping at that!

"You've been moping around all day. You haven't talked to nobody and you act like ya brain aint all there."

"Oh, I just was thinking."

"Bout what?"

Jake hesitated a moment, he didn't know if this was something that he wanted to share with anyone, or at least at the moment anyway.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Jake said forcibly.

"Come on man, we're boys, you know you can tell me anything…" he looked at the seriousness in Jake's eyes before finishing his statement. "You aint gay are you? Man tell me aint about to come out to me and profess your undying love!"

For a moment Jake forgot his cares and laughed out loud at his friend. There was a reason that Spud was his best male friend, and this was it. The boy had an uncanny ability to turn any serious moment into a joke, and right now he really needed to laugh.

"No, I've moved past that point in my life, but sometimes…"

"Dude!!!" Spud playfully pushed his friend' shoulder, as the two continued to laugh, gaining looks from everyone they passed. After they had sobered up a bit from their joking, Spud became serious once more.

"Seriously though man, what's botherin' you?"

Jake thought it best not to try and convince Spud that nothing was wrong. The two had known each other the better part of a decade, and was fully capable of knowing when something was bothering the other.

"If I tell you, you have to promise not tell say anything to anyone." He looked squarely in Spud's eyes, showing him that he was dead serious. "I mean it Spud, not even Trix."

Noticing the seriousness in his friend's eye, Spud swallowed the joke that he felt rising to his lips. Putting forth his most placid expression, Spud nodded his head in understanding.

"I gottcha, I won't say a word." He said while he crossed his heart.

"Alright, you know last night when you and Trixie left the house to go on your date and I had to give O' back her book?" he waited for spud to signify rather he remember or not before continuing. "Well I went upstairs like Trix told me to, but when I got there, no one answered the door. I knocked a few more times, but she still didn't answer." As Jake's story went on, his face became almost tomato red.

Spud watched as his friend's complexion changed from its normal pale to deep crimson red. Whatever it was that Jake was about to tell him must have been serious if the dude was turning that red. Everything that his mind could think of began racing through it. What could have caused the boy's face to go that red? It wasn't like he…

"You walked in on her naked?!" Spud yelled.

"What?! NO!" Jake said. He looked around the hall at the confused and giggling faces of his classmates, before dragging Spud down the hall. "Dude you need to learn to keep quit! And listen before you say stupid things, and no, I didn't walk in on her naked." Though his mind couldn't help but say how much he wouldn't mind if he had.

"Then why you blushin' so damn hard?"

"If you let me finish my story then you would know." Jake said impatiently. "When I went to knock on the door again, it came opened. I figured she wasn't there, so I just thought that I would leave it on her desk…"

"And?" Spud said anxious, barely able to contain his curiosity.

"Nothin' really bad happened, I just walked in. I was looking at her room, and dude, girl got some mad style by the way. Anyway, when I went to put the book on her table, I say her sleeping, she was just laying there." He stopped there, while images of seeing Orianna resting washed over him. Even in his imagination, she still had a calming effect on him, almost lulling him back into the memory.

"That's it? That's what's got you actin' all crazy? Man you had me thinkin' you saw her naked or somethin'." Spud began to laugh off his friends actions, before he seen that Jake wasn't laughing with him. "What, there's more?"

"I-I don't really know how to explain it, but… man looking at her laying there… it done something to me." His mind began to swirl, thinking of the many emotions that took hold of him that night. "I mean, ever since I meet her, she just had this way of making me feel so…. So… at peace." He said, not knowing a better way to describe his feeling.

Spud listened as his friend ranted about his feelings for their best friend's cousin. He couldn't say that he was surprised; Trixie had been going on for weeks now about how much they liked each other. In the beginning, Spud only thought that it was simply infatuation, and told Trixie as much, but now he wasn't so sure. The way Jake had been acting lately was proof that this wasn't just some meaningless fling; he actually was having feelings for this girl. Taking a sigh, he placed his hands on Jake's shoulder and shook his head; he was not looking forward to telling Trixie she was right all along.

"Man, my advice to you is just to tell her how you fell. You walkin' around like someone killed your puppy aint helping you or anybody else. Take it from someone who knows, not telling the girl you like that you like her will only lead to missed opportunities and regrets."

There were times that Arthur Spudinski truly did amaze him. During these rare times that he offered his genuine pearls of wisdom, it was easy to see how the boy was classified as a genius. What he said was true, by not telling O' that he felt something for her, he was missing out on spending time with her. But with all that said he didn't want to rush into anything, especially something that he wasn't sure how it would turn out. He didn't want to risk their friendship, so he made a solemn vow to not approach the subject until he was sure that was what he wanted.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over in the cafeteria, Orianna and Trixie were having a similar conversation. Before lunch had started, Trixie approached her cousin to get answer as to why she and Jake had been acting so weird around one another. She wasn't however prepared for the answer that she would get. She listened intently as Orianna relayed what had happened on that night when she and Spud had went out. She was surprised at Jake, she didn't think that he would walk into a girl's room without being allowed in, and when Orianna told her what he did when he noticed her sleeping, caused her jaw to nearly drop on table.

Damn, she knew that her friend had a lil crush on her cousin, but she didn't think he was that deep in. Noticing the subtly blush on Orianna's cheeks, she figured that Jake wasn't the only one crushing. So it seemed as though her suspicions were right, the two did have a thing for each other. She would enjoy rubbing this in Spud's face later, but right now her cousin was asking her for advice.

"So what do you think I should do? Do you think I should talk to him about it?" Orianna asked desperately. She had no experience when it came to talking to a guy, and was willing to take whatever advice she could get.

"No, then he'll think that you think he some kind of freak. If I know Jake, he won't tell you how he feels first; he'll wait to see if you feel the same way before he makes a move." Trixie said knowingly.

"So you're saying that I should tell him I like him?!" Orianna was mortified. She was hoping that she would be able to take this one step at a time, or at least figure out if this was real or not.

"Girl is you kidding me? No I don't want you to do that, then you would be coming on way to strong…" she looked at her cousin playfully before smiling. "and do you like him?"

"Well… I don't know really. I mean I do, but I'm not sure if it's because he's been so nice to me or..." Orianna began to ring her fingers nervously.

"I knew it! I knew you two like each other!" Trixie exclaimed, bouncing up and down in her chair. She stood up and went set directly on side of Orianna as she hugged her tightly.

"Trixie, I can't breathe…" Orianna said half jokingly.

"I just knew it." Trixie said one final time before releasing the other girl.

"Knew what?"

The voice caused the girls to nearly jump out of their skin. When Trixie turned around, she was met with the sight of her boyfriend, and Jake, who looked slightly better than he did earlier that day. Feeling something squeeze her hand underneath the table, Trixie turned towards Orianna, who was pleading with her eye for her cousin to not say anything about what they were just talking about. Understanding completely what her cousin was asking her, Trixie turned back to the guys who had just arrived.

"I just knew that you guy would be late for lunch. What were you two doing anyway?"

The look that passed between Jake and Spud spoke volumes; both silently agree to mention anything that had talked about.

"We got caught up in the hall. Why, did you miss me?" Spud said as he pulled Trixie out her seat before giving her a loving kiss.

"You know it baby boy." She murmured against his lips, while she let him lead her to the other side of the table so that the two could continue to hold on another.

"Sup O'?" Jake said, trying to make things as normal as he could between them.

"Nothing, how are you?" she was somewhat shocked when he spoke, but pleasantly so.

"Fine, sorry if I been actin' funny today. I had a lot on my mind earlier."

She didn't comment on his unusually behavior, she simple nodded her head that she understood and began to eat her meal. The sat there in a comfortable silence, both wondering where they would move from this point, while Jake had vowed to make any unnecessary proclamations, that didn't mean that he wouldn't test the waters of his a O' relationship. Both Spud and Trixie watched knowingly from the opposite end of the table. Neither was aware that the other knew what was causing their friends slight discomfort.

The weekend had finally come, time for everyone to relax and prepare for their breaks. Bright and early Saturday morning, Anita woke the two girls from their beds, and dragged them to the market. Since everyone would be coming soon, she would have to stock her entire kitchen. Trixie couldn't recall the last time she had seen her grandmother so excited about the thanksgiving holidays. This would be the first time in years that the entire family had gotten together, and it would also be Orianna's first holiday to date.

Trixie could tell that a big part of her grandmother's excitement came from the fact that a new family member would be introduced. While Anita was proud of all her children and grandchildren, this year Orianna would be the special one. Walking up and down the aisles at the lock grocery store, Trixie and Orianna gathered the items that were on their individual list that Anita had given them before they left the house. There were several things on there that Orianna had never heard of and had to ask for assistance from one of the employees.

"Excuse me sir, but can you tell me where I can find the … collard greens?" she asked.

The employees stocking shelves rose from his crouched position and turned to the customer asking for his help. The boy could be no older than seventeen years old, no doubt working for his family in this family own store. When his eyes fell on the sapphire blue of Orianna's, his jaw fell open. He had come across a lot of fine, even beautiful people her in New York, but this girl broke the mold. The peculiar hair color didn't dissuade him in the slightest. He began to subconsciously fix his appearance, making sure that his braids weren't disheveled.

"Uh… yeah, I can help you with that." He said suavely.

Orianna only smiled courteously at the young man's blatant flirtation. Her self esteem over her appearance had begun to boaster over the previous weeks, as she had been revieving more and more compliments regarding her unusual features.

"So…" after a while, his opened stares began to make her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I got lost for a second. Come on."

Following the boy down the few aisles to the produce section, the boy picked out the freshest head of greens he could find before handing it to her. She thanked him for his help before going to find her aunt and cousin.

"My name's Devon!" he yelled after her. Orianna turned on her heels, and looked at the almost goofy smile that he had just given her.

"Orianna…" was her reply before walking off.

Once they made it home, Trixie, Anita and Orianna began to put away the groceries. After a long day of shopping, Anita didn't feel like cooking, so she ordered takeout. The dining room was filled with laughter and joyous conversation as Anita and Trixie recounted stories of holidays gone by. All the talk about the festivities that they would have once the other members of the family arrived, made Orianna less anxious about the impending day.

After hours of story circling around great uncle Steve, the trio decided to call it a night. Before going to their individual rooms, Trixie informed Orianna that tomorrow she would be free and wanted to know if she would like to spend the day with her, Spud and Jake. It had been a while since they had spent the weekend together since Orianna would always disappeared before Trixie was even awake to go training.

"Sure, I have nothing planned for tomorrow." She said. She still needed to train, but thought that if she got a few hours in tonight, then she could afford skipping one day.

"Cool, I'll see you tomorrow." Trixie said before going into her room.

It was a little pass midnight when Orianna slipped out her bed. She was sure that by this time Trixie had long since gotten off the phone with Spud, and her aunt Anita was resting peacefully in her bed. She decided that tonight she would have a light practice, that way she would be as tired in the morning when she went out with the others. Transforming her clothing, she leaped out of her window once more and sailed to her usual spot in the park.

The night air was getting slightly colder since the autumn months slipped by. She wouldn't let the cold weather bother her though, and the night air was crisp and made her feel rejuvenated. She landed in her usual spot in the clearing, and as usual, her ever faithful companion was there, waiting patiently for her arrival

"Hey there Pegasus, did you miss me?" she asked the creature. After a while, she grew tired of not having a name for him. She racked her brain trying to come up with a name, and Pegasus just seemed to fit. Besides, he didn't seem to mind the name, and always responded to her whenever she called him.

The unicorn approached her, nuzzling his snout against her face. Pegasus had grown affectionate towards her as of late, and the once shared bond grew beyond gratitude and into genuine affection. She pulled the shawl over her face before jumping into the air, readying for her session.

Making his last round of the night, Jake soared in the air make sure that everything in the city was alright. These nightly patrols gave him the time and silence he needed to think when something was bothering him. He still hadn't quite figured out what his feelings were for O'. While he continued to tell himself that it was only because of his recent breakup with Rose, a increasingly prevalent voice in his head constantly mocked in on that lie.

He was having internal conflicts with himself as of late, and soon he thought that if he didn't come to some kind of resolution, his head would explode. He thought that he would make one last pass over central park before he turned in for the night.

At first glance, everything seemed to be fine, until he noticed movement on the far end of the park, a movement that he had seen before. Upon getting closer, his suspicions were confirmed, someone of something was moving within the unicorn's area. His blood began to run cold at the thought that those creatures that attacked earlier had return. He made a beeline in the direction he had seen the movement.

It was there that he spotted the same cloaked figure that he had seen the night of the massacre. Anger began to bubble up to the surface as he watched as the cloaked figure dive closer towards the lone unicorn in the clearing. He wouldn't let another innocent creature die, not on his watch. As the figure dissented, so did he at accelerated speeds. When he was in range, he released a massive flame, catching the figure off guards.

Orianna barely had time to notice the attack before it was upon her. She used every ounce of reflexes she had, and only barely managed to avoid the attack. Though a swift as she was, the sudden change in her trajectory caused her to slam painfully into a tree. Before she could regain herself, she found her body pinned to the bark of a tree by razor sharp dragon claws.

"What do you want here?!" the dragon roared, flames licking behind his partially closed mouth.

Words would not escape her upon hearing the treating tone in the dragon's voice. She was speckles, frozen in both shock and fear, thinking that if she didn't come up with something soon, this would be the end of her. She didn't have the time to respond before Pegasus came to her rescue. Using his hind legs, he kicked the dragon, causing it to lose its grip on his friend.

Jake didn't wholly understand, why would the unicorn be defending the creature that note a month ago tried to kill it and everything else in Central Park? The creature must have had it hypnotized. Well he would see that the creature would harm anything ever again, it would be pretty hard for it to hypnotize without its head on its shoulders. Rising off the ground, Jake began to barrel his way back towards the creature, with or without the unicorn moving.

Orianna was in shock, she thought that the dragon was the protector of these woods, but right now it didn't seem like it wanted anything more than to destroy her. Pegasus made no move to get out of the way of the charging dragon, she couldn't let him get hurt simply to protect her.

"Wait!!!" she cried.

Hearing the creature speak in a human voice, Jake immediately halted his assault. Staring at the figure with confused eyes, Jake waited to see what it would have to say.

"I don't mean any harm."

"You and your friends attacked this forest and killed dozens of innocent bystanders and you say you don't mean any harm?!" He asked incredulously.

"I had nothing to do with any of that. I was trying to protect those who were being attack." She defended herself.

This had to be a trick; there was no way that what this thing was saying was true. Then again, he did recall how she didn't seem to act as the others did. Then did it dawn on him that his assessment that this was in fact a female register. Though that would explain why the unicorn was so willing to protect her.

"So say I believe you? That still doesn't answer me what you're doing here or why you were attacking the unicorn."

Orianna had to think wisely before answering that question. She didn't want to sound to aggressive, thus restoring the beast's anger.

" I wasn't attacking him. And why would I attack him when he is a friend of mine?"

"Friend?" Jake asked confused. Unicorns weren't usually social creatures, and rarely ever came in contact with anything outside the species.

"Yes friend. The night the park was attacked, I found Pegasus wounded, so I healed him."

"Wait, he's names Pegasus?!" that though him off a bit. This shadowed figure actually named it? Maybe he had gotten off to a quick start before asking questions. But what was he to do when he came across monsters killing those he was meant to protect?

"What's wrong with his name?" Orianna asked slightly affronted.

"I didn't say anything was wrong with it."

There was something about her voice that was remarkable familiar, but what he didn't know. When she spoke it was soft and gentle, but he couldn't get a clear fix on it. Her voice sounded almost like it was echoing with every word. Her eyes gave away no detail seeing as they were solid white and the rest of her face and head were concealed underneath fabric.

"So what now?" he question caused him to stop his musing.

That was a pretty good question. Where would they go from this point on? Since she wasn't trying to hurt the magical creature, and was even going so far as to put her life on the line to protect them, Jake really could force her to leave.

"I don't know…" realizing how late it must have been he began to turn and walk away. "It's getting late. As long as you don't cause any trouble, then I guess you're cool."

His choices of words were rather shocking, but Orianna did voice any objections. She watched as the dragon spread its massive wings and took to the skies. Watching him soar out of sight, Orianna pulled the fabric away from her face, while her eyes melted back to their deep blue color.

"Seems as though we've made a new friend Pegasus." She said to her complain before following in the path the dragon had made.

A/N: I finished another one guys, and not a moment too soon. I've got the plot and first chapters started for my other fics and I can't wait to post them. This chapter only took me two days to finish, a new personal best. Again I ask that all who read this please take the time to review, getting feedback from you guys lets me know that you're still interested in me continuing. Well until next time.


	10. Family Ties

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: How many of you have been wishing unholy things upon me for not updating? LOL all in good jest people, though I am sorry for the delays. Sometimes the creative spirit lingers on the fringes of my mind and never takes that last step so that I can put out a good chapter. I've been receiving several reviews about the length of my chapters; well I can guarantee that all chapters will exceed five thousand words. It has been a personal goal of mine to have this story to reach at least one hundred thousand, so while the chapters will be long, I don't think they will go beyond twenty. This chapter will be in two parts, and another filler chapter, you know, when I have to fill in some personal aspect of the story, and it will be shorter than other chapters that I've posted, also at this point I can't say that it won't have some action, we'll just have to wait and see. I didn't have a beta for this one, so please forgive any mistakes.

Family Ties.

When Orianna first woke up on what would be her first Thanksgiving Holiday, she hadn't decided if she wanted to stay in bed or go down stairs. In the beginning she was anxious to meet her extended family, but as time went on her excitement dwindle into unbridled nervousness. She had never met or heard from these people in her entire life, and now she was expected to mingle with them as if they were well know relatives? Albeit, she hadn't know Trixie or her Aunt Anita until she meet them at the airport, but this was far different from that encounter. At that time it was just the two of them, and she didn't feel as if she was being smothered or surrounded; now she would be introduced to almost a dozen people, who would be crammed in this house for a whole weekend.

Pulling herself from her bed, Orianna made her way towards the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for when the guests would arrive. Her bath gave her little ease of her anxiety, and when she finally stepped out, she was more nervous than before. Wringing her hair dry, she rushed to her room to find what clothes she would be wearing for the day. Living in the states was a lot different than living in Africa, and being in the northern part of the country meant that the weather here was a lot colder than anything she was used to.

She ultimately decided on a pair of comfortable jeans and a light sweater in a pale blue color. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered what she should do with her hair. Over the month and a half since her secret was revealed, she had worked hard to not let her self-conscious emotions control her. She wouldn't let herself be brought back to that point, and decided to leave her hair exposed. Retrieving the few hair ties she had purchased on her last shopping trip with Trixie, she put her hair in a low ponytail, and placing the other two bands lower down her hair, leaving her hair in three sections.

Trixie was already down stairs, dressed in the most recent outfit that her mother had sent her from Paris. The excitement was bubbling in Trixie, this would be the first time she had seen her mother since the end of the last school year. Setting the plate on the table, Trixie looked at her watch for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"She'll be here Trisha, just relax." Anita smiled from her place at the stove. Her granddaughter had been constantly checking the time for when her mother's plane would arrive.

"I know, I know, but I'm so excited. I miss my mama." Trixie beamed with happiness.

"And I'm sure she misses you to."

Placing her dish on the stove top, Anita smiled at her granddaughter. It had been a few months since Trixie had last seen her mother, and Anita was well aware of how that affected Trixie. Truth be told, Anita missed her daughter just as much, she missed all of her children. This would be the first time that the whole family had gathered in a while. Trent, her eldest son, would be coming from Atlanta with his wife Sharron and their three children. Her youngest son, Patrick would also be stopping by with whatever new girlfriend he had this time. Felicia would be coming in from California with her fiancé, a man who Anita had met only once since the engagement. Melanie would most likely be the last to arrive, seeing as she was coming all the way from Europe. Anita had just finished pulling her famous sweet potato pie from the oven, when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Trixie was off before Anita knew it. Rushing to the door, she flung it open, a huge smile on her face. But the person on the other side wasn't who she was expecting. "Aunt Felicia!"

"Trixie? Oh my God, sweety, look at you. You've gotten so big." Felicia enveloped the teen in her arms.

This was only the tenth time that Trixie could recall meeting her aunt Felicia. She had moved to California to follow her dream to be a model, when Trixie was just a baby, and rarely came to visit. Pulling back, Trixie looked at her aunt as a whole. From what she could remember, Felicia hadn't really changed all that much. From the shoulder length chestnut brown hair, to the honey brown eyes, everything was exactly the same. Though the man on her arm was a change, the last Trixie remembered, Felicia had been dating a shorter guy with really bad acne. But this guy… well let's just say that Spud was lucky she loved him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, let me introduce you to my fiancé. Mark, this is my niece, Trixie. Trixie this is my fiancé, Mark." When Mark reached out to shake Trixie's hand, he flashed her a devilish smile.

"Hi, Trixie, it's nice to meet you." Mark said in a smooth baritone.

The man had a smile that could melt butter, and a voice as smooth as silk. Now Trixie Carter wasn't the type of girl to go all soft for a pretty face or nothing, but this man she could tell had skills in swooning a woman. His dark brown eyes burned into hers, causing a faint blush to color her skin. Trixie dipped her head to try and cover her embarrassment, before taking the offered hand.

"Uh… it's nice to meet you to."

"Is that my baby?!" Anita made her way out of the kitchen and into the hallway leading to the front door.

"Hey mama!" the two woman hugged, before Felicia turned back to the man behind her. "You remember Mark Don't you?"

"Well of course I do, it's nice to see you again Mark. How was your trip?"

"It's nice to see you again to Mrs. Carter, and the trip was fine."

"We flew first class, the food was wonderful!" Felicia gushed.

"Oh… well that's nice." Anita said. Felicia was always the type to like the high life. Ever since she was a little girl, she always wanted the best of everything. Anita and her late husband Thomas, always tried to instill in their children humility, to always be humble and grateful for what they had. It wasn't like there was something wrong with having wealth; it only become a problem with a person would measure the worth of their lives by how much money they had. That wasn't a life that Anita wanted for her baby girl or any of her children, though it seemed destined that Felicia would never learn that lesson.

"So, where is she?" at the confused looks on her mother and niece's face, Felicia clarified. "Orin's daughter, where is she?"

"Oh… goodness, I thought you were talking about your sister. She's upstairs getting dressed. Trixie, could you go see if everything is okay with her?"

"Sure grams, be right back." As Trixie ascended the stairs, Anita turned back to Felicia.

"Felicia, I want to tell you now, before Orianna get down here…"

"That's a beautiful name. Was she named after Orin?"

"What? Oh yes, she was named after he and her mother, but there's something else I want to talk to you about." Thinking of how she should choose her words carefully, Anita chose to be discreet. "Orianna comes from a different culture than we do, and while she has managed to adjust, there are still some things about her that are different."

"I know mother, I've been to Africa a few times. I promise I won't be insensitive towards her."

"Good, but it's not just her culture that is different, it's her appearance as well."

"Meaning…" Before Anita could continue with her conversation, footsteps could be heard on the staircase.

Trixie was the first on the stairs, followed immediately by what Felicia could only describe as an ebon goddess. The young girl was simply breathtaking, her figure more mature than anything she had ever seen on a teenager. At first the hair was a shock, but soon shock faded into enhancement. The way the silvery white lock, held in a ponytail, hung down her back made it seem like a river of the purest silver, wile wisps of hair touched her smooth chocolaty skin. Out of all, her eyes were the most captivating.

"Orianna, dear… this is Felicia, and her fiancé, Mark. She was were father's cousin." Anita wrapped her arm comfortingly around Orianna's shoulder, letting her know that she shouldn't be overwhelmed, and that she was there for her.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you."

At Anita's insistence, the group went into the living room to wait for the arrival of the other guest. It was the strangest encounter Orianna had ever had. During the small time she got to know Felicia, she could already tell that their interest weren't the same. Felicia started off by telling everyone how she had meet her new fiancé, and their short lived courting before deciding to get married. It was strange how little Felicia and the man she had chosen to spend the rest of her life with, had in common. While he liked to spend most of his time with his family and friends, she preferred trotting around the world, hobnobbing with the social elite.

"Last summer, Mark took me away to the south of France for our one year together as a couple. Isn't he the best?"

"That sounds nice. Did you stop by to see your sister?" Anita asked.

"Well no, we were on our vacation. It would have been rude of me to ask Mark to put aside everything we were doing just so I could visit my sister."

"You didn't tell me your sister lived in France. It wouldn't have been a problem for us to drop by for a day or two."

"It doesn't matter now, does it?"

Trixie and Orianna watched the exchange between the couple with mixed reaction. Orianna felt uncomfortable witnessing the two having an argument, while Trixie was slightly fuming that her aunt wouldn't even take the time to go see her own sister. Before the argument could get out of someone knocked at the door.

"I'll get it." Orianna was happy for the excuse to walk away. It was like a train wreck watching Felicia try and explain to her mother, fiancé and niece why she hadn't gone to see Melanie. When she opened the door, a small army of people were standing outside it.

A older man, looking remarkable like the picture of her great uncle Thomas, stood before her, his arm wrapped around a beautiful woman. The woman's ruby red lips were in stark contrast to her pale skin, while emerald green eyes highlighted her crimson hair. Standing to either side of the man and woman, were two teenagers around her age. The boy had brownish red hair, and hazel eyes, while the girl, who appeared slightly older, had blondish brown hair and brown eyes. Their café latté skin tone was a mix of both their mother and father. In the woman's arms was a baby boy with the same skin tones as the other two, but Orianna couldn't tell the color of his eyes because the infant was fast asleep.

Just behind the small family, was another man and woman. This man was shorter than the last, but no less handsome. Kind brown eyes lit a youthful face, and a confidant smile completed the package. The woman on his arm was only an inch or two shorter than he was, sporting a short hair style with the bangs covering her left eye. She reminded Orianna of the singer Riahnna, except the skin tone was a little darker.

"Hi, you must be Orianna." The first man spoke. "I'm Trent, and this is my wife Cindy, and my children Samantha and Cory. And this little man here is Troy." He introduced each of them in turn.

"Yes… I'm sorry, please come in." slightly embarrassed for having them stand outside in the cold.

"I'm Patrick by the way. And this is my girlfriend Kelly." The other man reached forward and shook Orianna's hand.

"Orianna, who was it baby?" Anita walked out of the living room to be greet by her children and grandchildren.

"Hey mama!"

"Mom!"

"My boys are home." She gathered both of them in a hug. "And look at my gandbabies all grown up." She gave Samantha and Cory a kiss on the cheek before giving hugs to the Cindy and Kelly. When she got to Cindy, she scooped little Troy in her arms and began to smother him with kiss. "I see you've all met Orianna? Your sister is in the living room with her fiancé Mark."

"The guy she was seeing last year?! They're getting married?"

"Jesus, Pat, do you ever call your family?" Trent asked joked.

"I try to, but Lisha barley ever in the states."

"You not lying on that one." The brother's always joked about how their sister was never around anymore.

"Let's all go in the front room, the only person we're waiting on in Melanie. After that, we can all sit down and eat."

After everyone settled in the living room, they all began to reminisce about their childhood. Teasing each other about awkward hair do's and silly nicknames. Felicia was more embarrassed than anything else, not really joining in on the laughter that was shared. About an hour had passed when the door to the house was open, and in walked none other than Trixie's mom.

"Mama!" Trixie jumped from the couch and hugged her mother for what seemed like the first time. Melanie wordlessly dropped her bags on the floor and hugged her daughter just as tightly. It was like neither of them had seen the other in years, the way they were acting.

"Hey baby, oh you don't know how much I miss you sweetheart."

"I miss you to."

"Well it's about time you go here baby sis, I was beginning to think that I would starve to death." Trent said, giving his sister a hug.

After giving her brothers and sisters hug, and making small talk with her mother, Melanie finally noticed the young woman sitting quietly in the room. She knew who she was immediately, even without the hair and eyes. It was when the young girl smiled politely at her, that Melanie recognized her. She was anxious about meet this girl, the last link to her cousin. When her mother told her that Orin had a daughter and that she would be coming to live with her, Melanie was in a state of shock.

Orin was without a doubt, Melanie's best friend when they were growing up. Even when they were adult, the two of them kept in constant contact with each other. But when she heard that he had died, her whole world came crashing down. It was a personal blow to her, cause not only did she loose a family member, she lost her best friend. She never got to say goodbye to him, and that had always weighed heavily on her heart, but now everything had changed. With the birth of this girl, Orin wouldn't be forgotten, and Melanie could finally lay his memory to rest.

Soundlessly she walked over to Orianna, and stood in front of her.

"Hello…" Orianna spoke clearly. At first Melanie didn't respond, she just looked at her. They even almost sounded the same, other than Orianna having an accent.

"Hi…" Melanie cleared her throat before she tried to speak again. "Hi, you're Orianna right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"God, you're so much like him…" she whispered before swatting the tear from her eye. Felling herself getting more emotional with each second, Melanie turned to the people behind her. "Well what are we waiting for? Let' eat."

Everyone left the living room and headed for the kitchen, except for Orianna. She stood back and waited while all of her family left, wondering how her life could have changed so much in the last couple of months. She had went from living in Africa in a small hut with her godmother, to moving to the United States of America and getting to know family that she never would have guessed existed. She was grateful for the opportunity to get to know all of these people, and for the first time she was able to understand the meaning of Thanksgiving.

After dinner, the Carter family spent much of the night talking. Of course most wanted to know about Orianna's life before she moved in with Anita, but once the initial infatuation was over, the family settled into comfortable conversations. The sleeping arrangements had been decided long before everyone arrived, but even with four bedrooms, things were going to be a little cramped. Trixie and Samantha would be sleeping with Orianna in her room. Anita had decided that it would be best that Trixie give up her room for the weekend that way Orianna would feel put out. Trixie had no problem sharing a room with her cousin, and took it as a sleepover of sorts.

"So Sam, what have you been up to since the last time ya came to New York?" Trixie said as she flopped down on Orianna's bed.

"Nothin' much, same old same old I guess. Benjamin and I broke up last month." She said flippantly.

"You mean that fine as boy you was with the last time I went to ATL? Is you on crack?! That boy was fine."

"Yeah, if you like that type of dude who can't do nothin' for you but give you a headache. What about you, you still with that fine lil' white boy?"

"Hey now, watch how you talk about my man." Trixie said laughing. This is how her and Samantha's relationship was like. The two would always rag on the other about their choice of men.

"So what about you Anna, you have a man?" Sam asked. She was curious to know if this girl had managed to adjust to life here in the states as quick as her grandmother had said.

"Well… I…"

Samantha smiled slightly; she could tell what that meant. any time a girl wasted that much time giving a yes or a no to such a simple answer, that meant that she wasn't quite sure how to respond, aka meaning the answer was always yes.

"Hmmm… I see, you haven't told him that you liked him yet." From the shocked expression on her face, Samantha knew that she was right. "Well who is he?"

"My boy Jake." Trixie said, laughing at the look on her cousin's face.

"Jake?"

"Trixie!" Orianna seethed, mortified that Trixie told her secret.

"You know, the cute Asian guy I'm always with."

"Girl, you lying! You crushin' on that Jake?! Well I suggest you take that, Hell I know if I lived in New York I would be all over him."

"Goddess give me strength." Orianna let out a quite prayer, wishing that the bed would swallow her up.

The rest of the night was spent gossiping. It was like having sisters, the way the three interacted with each other. Orianna could see a lot of similarities between Samantha and Trixie, right down to the way each of them spoke. It was fun to get to know her, even if it would only be for a weekend.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following morning, Trixie's mother asked her out on the town. Melanie wanted to get some quality time in with her daughter before she would have to leave for her flight back to Europe. Of course, she invited Samantha and Orianna out with her, but both declined, realizing that this would be private time for mother and daughter. It seemed as though everyone had plans for today. Anita had to go into work today unexpectedly, it seemed that one of her coworkers had gotten sick and need her to take her place. Patrick had decided to take Kelly out for a tour the city, while Felicia and her soon to be husband was going clothes shopping.

Trent wanted to take Cindy and the kids out for a while, and give them a chance to see what it was like for him growing up in the city. Orianna had declined offers to join them, noticing that everyone would be out with their families. It wasn't that she was jealous of any of them, she could understand why they all wanted to spend time with their family, and this was the season for it and all. But it was times like these that she felt really lonely.

Sitting on the couch in the living room, Orianna had decided to curl up with a book and wait for everyone to return. She hadn't gotten more than a few pages in when music started coming out of nowhere. She didn't recognize the song straight away, but soon realized it was her cell phone ringing. She followed the tune of Usher's 'You got it bad' until she found her phone stuffed in the cushion of the nearby loveseat. Looking at the caller id, she had seen that it was Jake. She didn't remember programming that ringtone for his number, and then remembered Samantha and Trixie playing with her phone last night.

"I'm going to kill them…" she whispered before answering her phone. "Hello?"

"Sup O', happy late Thanksgiving."

"Well it's better late than never I suppose." She chuckled over the line.

"Well I was going to call last night, but I thought ya'll would be busy with ya whole family there."

"And you couldn't text?" she asked jokingly.

"Parent been gettin' on me for textin' so much. They say I need to learn how to actually talk to people." She could almost see him rolling his eyes at the thought. "So what are you up to?"

"Nothing much, just sitting at home reading a book."

"You're by yourself?"

"Everyone else stepped out for a little while."

"And they just left you? Aw naw, we can't have that."

"What did you have in mind?" Orianna asked. She had decided last night that she would take more initiative in exploring these feeling towards Jake that she was having.

"Meet me at the park in ten minutes." Before she could answer, Jake had hung up.

Looking at the phone, Orianna smiled to herself. It seemed like she wasn't the only one taking action, and that thought excited her. Rushing up stairs, Orianna changed clothes before grabbing her cell and heading out the door to meet Jake.

To be continued….

A/N: I'll be honest with you; this was without a doubt the hardest chapter I have ever had to write. I couldn't get a real grip on where I wanted to go with it, and I was getting frustrated with describing characters, family dynamic and personalities. While that isn't an excuse, it's all I have. Next chapter won't be like this, I tend to have an easier time when I don't have to have so many people in one scene. The next chapter will come out a lot sooner than this one, and it will be Jake and Orianna on what could be considered their first date. I won't go into detail about what this chapter will entail, but I can say that the real plot to the story is fast approaching. Luiz4200, you especially will love what's coming in the next chapter or two. I would like to thank all of you who have kept up with the story, it really means a lot to me that you guys enjoy this. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a review or send me a PM.


	11. Author's Note

_**Attention:**_

Just a heads up to all of those who thought that I was MIA or dead. I'm alive!!! I know it's been a while since my last update, and for that I'm truly sorry. I was having problem at home with family that required my full attention. Now I'm back and ready to push out some serious work. Updates will come twice as often as they did before, and for that you have my word. I will try to publish as frequently as I can as long as my muse continues to inspire. Like I've said previously, reviews always keep me motivated and going strong. That's it for now. At the moment, I'm writing my update for this chapter and it should be done within the next day or so, so you shouldn't have that long to wait. Thanks for the support.

Orionstorm04


	12. Memories Made in the Coldest Winter

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: I'm alive!!! LOL sorry for the really, really long delay in my updates, things have been really hectic for me lately. Not to bore you with my personal issue, but my grandmother recently had to have surgery and during recovery things had gotten increasingly bad. At one point we almost lost her, and that thought alone left me with no motivation to do anything other than cry. I went back to my home town for well over a month while my family and I waited to see how her condition would change. It was only through extreme prayer and the grace of the Lord that my grandmother managed to make a full recovery. I stayed home for a week or so to make sure that she had all the assistance she needed. Now, well over a month and a half later, she is doing fine, and I was able to return to some semblance of normalcy. Oh, and even greater news, other than me returning to work on my stories, I've bought a new puppy! He is the best little dog I have ever seen. He's a Shiba Inu, which is a Japanese breed dog. Originally his name was Bandit when I got him from the breeder, but I changed it to Shiro, which means storm in Japanese. :P look at me going on and on, when all any of you guys want is for me to get to the story. Well we've waited enough, so on with the show.

**Memories Made in the Coldest Winter**

As Orianna exist the brownstone that had been her home for the last couple of months, she was greeted with a white expansion as far as the eye could see. Winter had fully descended upon the city of New York, blanketing its streets in an ivory blanket. It was wondrous to see the entire city covered in the fresh powder of winter. Unlike the tropical climates of South Africa, during the winter months, New York was an icy wonderland.

As she made her way the few blocks leading to the park, Orianna envisioned the moment she would see Jake again. His tall frame standing at the entrance waiting for her to arrive as his handsome smile greets her as she came closer. Her imagination had been running rampant since her little talk with Trixie and Sam. Both girls were adamant that she take more initiative in perusing Jake, but at the same time not come across as needy or desperate. She hadn't really known rather she was coming or going, but she was determined to make an effort.

As she slipped between the throngs of people milling away on the sidewalks, she was able to get a brief glimpse of the boy that had been occupying her thoughts for the past several days. Orianna smiled internally at his posture, rigid and tense, as if he were being led to the gallows. His face was downcast, as he played with some unseen object in his hand, obviously nerves in his own right. Taking a deep breath, she began to approach Jake, albeit rather timidly herself.

"Hi Jake…" her soft voice caused the teen's head to immediately spring up.

"O'… wow, you scared me." Jake stammered. She could see the subtle tell tale signs of a blush coloring his cheeks.

"How long have you been waiting?" she asked, fighting her own blush.

"Not long, I just got here a few minutes ago." He finally made eye contact with her. It seemed as though the cold winter air had caused the hue of her eyes to change to a powder blue color. It was odd, but it seemed as though every time he looked into those deep blue pools, he managed to loss all sense of worry.

"Sooo… what do you want to do?" Her voiced snapped him out of his stupor. Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, he made a lame attempt to apologize, blaming his absentmindedness on the cold.

"Doesn't matter, this day is all about you. Wherever you want to go is fine by me." He offered her a smile.

"Anywhere you say?"

"Yep, anywhere your heart desires."

Orianna thought long and hard about where she would like to spend the day with Jake. There were so many things to do here in New York that she couldn't think of just one that would be better than the others. That is until an idea struck her. There was something she had always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity to do back home because of the heat.

"Take me ice skating?" it was more of a request than a decision. She had no idea how he would react to such a comment. While Jake Long was a notorious skater, she didn't quite believe that it included ice skating.

"What?!" he yelped.

"You don't like it?" Orianna's jubilant smile had begun to fade at his reaction. "You're right, that's a stupid idea. We can do something else, maybe…"

"No, no, you just caught me off guard." He quickly tried to reassure her that her idea wasn't stupid. "It's just that I haven't been ice skating since I was a little kid. My parents used to take me and my little sister every year."

"So do you want to go? If not, we can find something else that we can do, it doesn't have to be that."

"No, I said today was all about you, and I meant it. If ice skating is what you want to do, then ice skating it is." He reached for her hand, noticing that even in the cold November air, her skin was still warm.

As they made their way down town towards Rockefeller Center, Jake held Orianna's hand firmly, citing that he didn't want to lose her in the crush of the crowd. The two barely exchanged words as they walked to their destination. No words need be said, only the simple emotions between and boy and a girl. Orianna's heart was racing in her chest as she gripped his hand with equal pressure. This was one of those moments that she wasn't sure about Jake's feeling towards her. Though he clung to her as if he wanted to simply be close, he explained his closeness by saying he didn't want to lose her.

Was that meant to be a double entendre, was he trying to let his feeling be known, but not speak out directly about them? Or maybe it was just the foolish wishes of a girl who had never had a relationship with any guy in her life. Well that wasn't entirely true; she had begun to get close with Adam, a boy from her village, before she was forced to move away from her native home. She had thought that after their brief flirtation had ended with her moving away, that she would never find any guy willing to take a chance with a girl like here. Yet here was a guy she was completely compatible with, but neither of them it seemed was willing to say how they felt.

When they finally arrived at Rockefeller Center, Jake had paid for their skates and the two sat down and began to lace up. Being that she had never skated in her life, Orianna had a few problems with getting the boots on properly, but luckily, Jake was there to lend a hand. With her skates on, Orianna attempted to stand up, and found out the hard way that standing on ice skates was a far cry from standing in regular shoes. As she wobbled from side to side, trying desperately to find her balance, she inched her way over to the rink, being guided by Jake's hand.

"You need to remember to keep your balance. I know it feels weird tryin' to stand up in these things, but just think of them as a really bad pair of high hills." He tried to teach her some of the basics before they got further on the ice.

"And how would you know what it feels like to wear a pair of hills?" even though she was hardly able to get her feet under her, she still managed to sling a joke at his expense.

"Ha ha, very funny, you know what I mean." He said as he held her outstretched hands, skating backwards so that he could guide her more easily. "Keep playin' and I'll leave you out here to fend for yourself."

Orianna's eyes grew wide at the prospect of Jake leaving her out here on the ice by herself. "You wouldn't dare…" she narrowed her eyes playfully at him as she took a firmer grip of her hand, as he playfully tried to pull away from her.

"You know I'm just playin' with you Dove. I wouldn't leave you out here like that."

"What did you just call me?" she asked inquisitively. By this time in their relationship, she was used to people giving her nicknames. Trixie had started it off by calling her oreo, to Orianna's displeasure. She had said that because her hair remained her of the cream in an oreo cookie, and since she was of African descent it just seemed to fit, that and the fact that she didn't want to be the only girl with a name of a snack food. Spud preferred to call her princess, since the way she carried herself reminded him of the regal maidens and princesses of the stories that he used to love so much when he was younger.

But the only name she was used to Jake calling her was simply O'. She had never heard him refer to her as anything but, since they had first begun to be friends. She looked into his face, trying to read his eyes to get the meaning of the new pet name he had given her. What she saw gave her pause. It seemed as though he was having some type of internal struggle, debating rather or not to tell her what he had just said.

"I didn't say anything." He looked at their feet, pretending to concentrate on her progress. Initially Orianna thought to just let the matter rest, but then thought twice. She was tired of being afraid to ask him certain question, out of fear that she wouldn't get the answer she was looking for. It was now or never, she had to take the plunge if she wanted to see where she and Jake's relationship would lead.

"You called me dove, I heard you." She waited for him to look back at her, and when he didn't she continued to push. "You've never called me that before. Normally you just call me O', or Anna. So what does dove mean?" she had her suspicions, but she wanted to hear the words from his lip.

"I-I don't know. I wasn't thinking, and just said the first thing that came to mind. It's just a silly name, don't worry about it." He rambled nervously.

"And the first thing that came mind was to call be by the name of a bird?" she dug her blades into the ice, causing both of them to stop in their tracks. For once she wanted Jake to be completely honest with her about his feelings. She wanted him to say any and everything that was on his mind, and not hold anything back. "Jacob…"

"I don't know alright! I mean, I just… you make me feel..." He shut his eyes tightly, trying to will the nervousness from him. It was ironic; he had fought all sorts of mystical creatures, some of the most fiercely trained hunters in the world. Hell he even fought his own ex-girlfriend who was one of the most kick ass fighters he had ever come across, yet he was scared to death to tell this one girl how he felt.

"I make you feel what?" Orianna waited on baited breath, hoping that he would finish what he had started.

"O', ever since I meet you, I've always felt… well close to you. Like I could tell you anything, which is weird cause back then we hadn't know each other that long. But despite all of that, I still felt like I could trust you." Jake had answered as truthfully as he could. This was how he had felt since meeting the African beauty all those months ago. It was like finding a missing part of who he was when he met her, and that scared him beyond reason.

When he had first laid eyes on Rose, back when they were in junior high, he thought her beautiful. And with time, his lust began to transform into genuine affection, followed by what he thought was the deepest love he could ever feel for a person outside his family and inner circle. But with Orianna it was different; she made him feel complete, whole in a way that no one else could. Not his family, not his friends, not even Rose was able to make him feel that way. When he was around her, he noticed that his heart rate would speed up, his palm would get sweaty. And when she would smile, and that small dimple would form in her left cheek just so, it was enough to send a chill down his spin. Or when she would laugh and her eyes would shine like little sapphire orbs. And most of all was when she called him by his name, and how her accent would thicken ever so slightly, causing each syllable to be threaded though with her sexy baritone. All of it was enough to set his soul on fire.

He didn't know how to react to all of that. It was causing him more confusion then he thought one brain could handle, yet at the same time, it centered him. His days seemed brighter when she was there, and less exciting when she wasn't. He wasn't foolish enough to call whatever this was between them love, but it sure went farther than mere like or lust. It was familiar, and soothing, and all of those other cheesy ass words that he had heard before.

"What are you saying?" Orianna was stunned by his response. It seemed as though he had been thinking just as deeply on the matter as she had.

"I don't really know. I mean, I know what I want to say, but I guess I'm afraid to say it." He looked down into her eyes and saw the pleading within them. He couldn't just let things sit like this; he had to give her something. "I called you Dove, cause you leave me feeling at peace. There are so many things about my life that is hectic, but you're the one thing that is normal."

That last comment struck a chord. She knew that sooner or later she would be faced with this problem; she just didn't think it would be like this. Being born different alienated her from everyone around her, and that separation left her with an overwhelming fear of being left alone. She hated lying to her friends and family about where she was going during the day, but what other choice did she have. She couldn't very well tell them that she was born with powers far beyond their comprehension and in order to keep them under control, she had to constantly train.

"Jake, I don't think you understand what you're saying. I'm not as perfect as everyone thinks and there's a lot about me that you don't know…" she started pulling away from him, needing the distance to think clearly.

"I know you're not perfect, and that's not what I want. Like I said, there are things about me that you don't know, just like I'm sure there are things about you I don't know. But maybe in time, we can learn everything there is to know. I told you before, that I trust you. I can't tell you everything right now, but later, we can…" she placed her finger on his lips, stopping him from finishing his sentence.

"There are some things in this world that are meant to remain secret. I like you Jake, more than you really know, and it's because I like you that I don't want to hurt you." As she said all of this, Orianna traced his face with her palm, just as he had done her that night in her room. She watched as his eyes fluttered close for the briefest of seconds, before they opened once again, shining with determination, and another emotion she couldn't quit describe.

Jake gently grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers with his as he brought them to his chest. He knew that his heart was pounding, but at the moment he really couldn't care less. He had to say this, he had to make her understand that he wasn't going to let this go until her figured out exactly what it was.

"We don't have to rush." He used his other hand to brush the loose stands of hair out of her face. "I'm not asking you to bear your soul to me; I just want a chance to see where this is going."

"But what if I hurt you? Jake out of all the people that I've meet here, it's you who make me feel most at home. I love my cousin and my aunt to death, but what I feel for you is different. I couldn't bear to think of hurting you, not after what happened between you and Rose." Orianna's eyes began to glisten as she thought of the pain that she would undoubtedly cause him if he ever learned the truth about who and what she really was.

"What me and Rose had was different. I don't want to live my life based on my past." His resolve had strengthened as he prepared to go all in. "I want a chance to see where this is leading O'. I think we both deserve to see how this could turn out. I know you're scared, but you have to trust me when I say I would never do anything to hurt you."

She believed him, with very fiber and her being, she believed him. This wasn't some random declaration coming from some adolescent boy trying to woo some love struck girl. This was Jake, and if she knew nothing else, she knew that when he had made up his mind on something, then he was damn well going to stick with it. As crazy as it sounded, she knew he was right. They both deserved to see where the extent of their relationship could go. But that quite lingering fear that one day she may hurt him still weighed heavily on her decision to accept what he was saying wholeheartedly.

Seeing the indecision in her eyes, Jake brought her face closer to his. He wanted her to look directly in his eyes when he next spoke, so that she would know that everything he said was genuine.

"Dove…" the name rolled off his tongue with ease. It was his name for her now, a new facet to the enigma that was becoming their relationship. "I want… no I need for you to hear me right now. I know you're sacred that you're going to hurt me, but trust me when I say that there is nothing you can do that can make me think any differently about you." He watched as her lower lip began to tremble as she tried in vain to hide the emotions that those words caused her.

"This doesn't have to be some fairytale story. We won't fall into each other's arms and ride off into the sunset or anything like that. We'll take it slow, if we like it, then we move forward. If we think we'll be better off as friends, then we'll do that. All I know is I want a chance to be with you, to know everything about you."

Her reaction was purely instinctual. Being confronted by Jake's onslaught of emotions caused her resolve to crumble. Whatever attempts she had to putting up a defense to keep her from making a decision that could ultimately cost her Jake's trust was blown away.

Wordlessly she leaned forward, compelled only by her need to submit to her most primal of desires to share affection with another human being. Neither of them thought about what this would truly mean for their relationship, or how it would affect the dynamics of the group. Seconds before the lips joined, both of their eyes slipped close. As their lips brushed against each other in a feather light caress, two hearts skipped a beat.

Jake had never felt so alive, or so high. This was better than any dragon experience he had ever had, and mostly like would never exceed. Even as he pulled back, rather hesitantly, he could still feel the tingling sensation of her lips. When his eyes fluttered open, he looked into the face of the girl who, at the moment, meant more to him than he could ever have imagined, and smiled. Orianna was motionless, her eyes still closed as she remained in the same position as when they had kissed.

She felt heady, almost disoriented from the emotions within her. She had never experienced anything so enthralling, so captivating, as sharing a simple kiss. Like all young girls, she had fantasized about her first kiss. She never would have imagined it to be anything like this. It was like magic, or some euphoric drug injected directly into her brain, leaving her in a state of nirvana. When she finally found the strength of will to regain he faculties, she was greeted by Jake, sporting a rather goofy looking grin.

"What?" she asked slightly embarrassed, thinking that maybe she enjoyed her kiss far more than he did. At first he didn't respond. He only stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of her, thinking that the choice to confront her about his growing feelings was the right one.

"Nothing." He knew at that point that Orianna had indeed claimed a part of him that no one else had. "It's getting late. I should get you back home before ya fam starts to worry." He wasn't ready just yet to tell her how deep his feeling went, thinking it was best to let thing progress on their own.

The walk home was just as silent as the walk to the center. Both once again absorbed in their own little worlds, albeit this time the atmosphere had changed. There was more touching, as their hands briefly brushed against one another, cause them to send flustered smiles to one another. As they approached Orianna's home, they began to slow down if an attempt to spend more time together.

"This is it." Orianna declared needlessly, as she climbed the stoop leading to her door. The lights were on in the living room, and she could hear talking. Apparently the others had returned home from their outing, leaving Orianna with precious little time to act. Swiftly, she descended down the few short steps separating her and Jake, and with one fail swoop, pressed a passionate kiss on his lips.

As she pressed her body against his, an all engulfing flame of passion exploded once again in his chest, causing him to let out an involuntary moan. Almost if on their own accord, his arms snaked around her lithe waist, bringing her impossibly closer to him. As their bodies melded together, the kissed linger on further than the last. When breathing became vital, the two pulled apart, breathing heavily and smiling at one each other.

This time it was Orianna who pulled back first. The separation causing some discomfort in Jake, making him almost pull her back into the folds of his embrace. As they slowly parted, and Orianna's hand began to slip from his as she made her way back up the steps, Orianna gave Jake a coy smile.

"I'll see you later?" she asked, lips still red and slightly swollen from their last kiss.

"Defiantly." was his breathy reply. As he watched her enter the house, the swell in his chest only grew larger. Once she disappeared behind her door, he finally let out the breath he wasn't aware he was holding.

On the farther end of town, at JFK airport, a plane had just landed. As people began to outboard the plane, an announcer could be heard over the PA. "Passengers arriving from flight 180 from Harare Zimbabwe are now exiting at gate 27. We hoped you enjoyed your flight, and looking forward to seeing you again."

As the first of the passengers walked past the metal detector, heading to the baggage claim, one young man lingered. The boy was young, no more than eighteen years of age. His frame was solid, but not over packed with muscles, he was more toned. His smooth dark chocolate skin almost glowed under the artificial lights in the building. Dreads, a sign of his native roots, hung heavily down his back, stopping just below mid back. Deep brown eyes surveyed his surroundings, as he walked farther into the waiting area.

He had never seen such grandeur and excitement in one setting. He was used to a quite life, back home in his village. But this is where his destiny brought him; this is where his spirit told him she was. He was determined not to be sidetracked by the metropolises know as New York. His purpose here was for one thing and one thing only. To find her, plain and simple.

"Excuse me sir. But you wouldn't by any chance be Adam?"

The young man turned around, finding himself being confronted by a rather skittish looking Arab man. His appearance denoted his harsh life, as he was dressed almost as a street beggar who had witnessed many terrible things in his time.

"Yes I am."

"Oh, that's wonderful. My name is Azul. I'm to take you to your new dwellings while you remain here in the United States. My master has been eagerly awaiting your arrival." There was something off putting about the man leading him out of the airport and to a car waiting outside.

"Not to seem rude, or ungrateful, but why is your master being so kind as to arrange for my arrival and my stay here?"

"It's as the master stated in his letter to you. He and your father were once… friends. He only wants the chance to help out a dear friends orphaned son." As suspicious as all of this may have sounded, Adam was grateful the he had been giving the opportunity to come here.

As large as this city was, he was sure that he would find the one his was looking for. He had lost her once, and from that moment he swore that he would never lose her again. There was and unexplainable bond that existed between them, and he could not rest until he figured out what it meant. It was almost an obsession, everything about her called to him. He seen her image in everything from the clouds to the gentle reflection in the stream. It was maddening, almost driving him insane. Oh yes, he would find her, and when he did, he would make her realize that they were one.

"Orianna…"

To be continued…

A/N: To say I've been gone for so long, this chapter was easier than I thought to write. Maybe my absence fueled my desire to put out something I considered worth wild. I didn't quit reach my 5000 word minimum, but 4796 is close enough. So tell me what you think guys, was this one up to scratch or have I lost my edge? The title I'll admit was inspired by Kayne West song by the same title. As promised, this chapter had more of a date like quality to it. I want you guys to be honest and tell me if you think I went overboard on the characters interaction and admissions. I thought hard on how an actual person would explain their feelings for another. I didn't want to sound to cheesy, but I wanted to have a little fluff involved. As always, you guys opinion matter so please review and let me know of anything I could improve on. Well I guess I'll get started on the next chapter, talk to you guys later.


	13. Commitment

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

_**Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue**_

_**A/N: This is it! A new update, aren't you guys excited?! I've been gone for a while, but now I'm back. In this chapter, things are really going to start heating up. I want to let you guys in on a little something that has happened to me with this story recently. I received a review from one of the readers of this fic, and I must say that their comments left me a little taken aback. She commented on Orianna and her personality, and how perfect the character was, a little too perfect for this particular readers taste. While my first reaction was to get angry, and to ask her who she was to judge how I wrote my stories, I had to pause. Isn't that the kind of criticism we as writer are looking for? I had forgotten that she wasn't in my head, and that she didn't know the complete background of the character. And since this is an incomplete work, she couldn't really grasp it as a whole. She could only interpret what I had given her up until that point. So I thought: if one person is thinking that, then I'm sure there are others. Well let me clarify this for all who read, there is a reason to her perfection, a reason that won't become clear until later chapter. I know what a Mary-Sue is, and I can tell you that they get on my last nerve to. So the last thing I would do is put one in my stories. I like for character to have substance, and believability. The moment you lose the realism in your stories, is the moment they cease to be worth reading. That's all I have to say.**_

**Commitment **

When Orianna woke up the following day, she was on cloud nine. The previous night she had dreamt of Jake, and when the dream ended, and she opened her eyes to the new day, her heart was still beating harshly in her chest. She had never felt as happy as she did after her encounter with Jake. When she walked through the door to her home, she was met with the curious eyes of her family. Being the closet to her, Trixie was the first to bombard her with question.

"Where were you?! When we got home, you were nowhere to be found." Trixie watched as Orianna made her way further into the living room. "I even tried calling your cell, but it went to voicemail." Still Orianna didn't answer. She just sat on the couch next to Trixie, with a dreamy look on her face. "Uh…hello?" Trixie said as she snapped her fingers in the other girls face.

"What…" it seemed that only just then, Orianna realized that there were others in the room.

"I said; where were you? You've been gone all day." The worry in Trixie's voice began to fade, as it was replace by mild irritation at her cousin's lack of a response.

"I-I stepped out. I got bored with sitting in the house all day, so I thought I would get some fresh air." Orianna responded, slightly flustered. Her mind was still reeling from the kiss between her and Jake. She was surprised at her actions on the front steps. Only hours ago she was conflicted about where she and Jake stood in their relationship, now she was practically making out with him on her front porch. Things were defiantly changing, and rather fast at that. But she couldn't bring herself to care about any of that. There was just something so right about all of this that made her care less about what was to happen next, she only cared about what was happening now.

"You could have come out with us. It would have given you and mom a chance to get to know one another better, since she's leaving tomorrow." The Thanksgiving holiday was coming to a close, and Trixie was becoming increasingly upset about it. That meant her time with her mom was running out, and she wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye again. It was bad enough that Sam and the others was leaving in the morning, now her mother would be leaving to.

"Trixie, there is something I wanted to talk to you about. I didn't want to say it earlier, because I thought that I would wait until we got home so mom and Orianna could hear it to." Melanie said as she walked to sit next to her daughter. "I know I haven't been around much lately, and baby, I cannot tell you how sorry I am about that. It was just that work made things so hectic for me, that I couldn't come home as much as I wanted."

Trixie looked to her mother with a mix of guilt and a little resentment. She hated the fact that she made her mother feel as though she had to choose between her life's dream and her daughter, but at the same time didn't she count for anything? She was her daughter, her flesh and blood, but none of that seemed to matter. She much preferred to jet around the world to one fashion capital or another. Didn't she understand that she needed her mother? But with all that said, Trixie knew how much her mother's job meant to her, and she wasn't about to make her feel even worse for doing something she loved.

"It's alright mom, I understand. It's no big deal. I have grams and Anna."

"No, it is a big deal, and I realize that now. I've missed a lot because of my job. I miss your first date; I miss your first day of high school. I even missed your last birthday." Melanie's raw emotions began to mount at the thought of all that she had missed over the years. What had she sacrificed all of these things for anyway, the sake of her career? Well not anymore. She turned sorrowful eyes to Orianna as tears began to lightly sting at the corners of her light brown eyes. "I've missed a part of Orin coming home."Orianna stared blankly at the older woman. She knew that Melanie and her father were very close when he was alive, but she didn't realize how much her presence there affected her older cousin.

"I'm tired of missing out on my family." Melanie tried to compose herself, and keep the stinging tears at bay long enough for her to get out what she needed to say. "I spoke with the agency, and they agreed that I had been away from home long enough. So they offered me a position as lead fashion consultant of the New York branch."

"Wha… I… you…" for the first time that she could recall, Trixie was actually speechless.

"So that means I'll be moving back here with you and mom. It'll be temporary of course, at least until I can find a place of my own here in the city. And once I get settled, you can follow."

"Oh Melanie, I'm so happy for you baby." Anita said as she gave her daughter a hug.

"Congrats baby sis, maybe now I'll see you more often." Trent said as he joined the rest of the family in congratulating his sister on her promotion.

Trixie was the only one who had yet to voice anything coherent since the announcement. It was like her unspoken wished had been answered. Her mother would be coming home, and this time not just for some short visit. She would be coming home to stay. And not only that, but she wanted her to move in with her once she got her own place. It could be like old times, just her and her mom. It was like that for a while after Trixie's dad left when she was in middle school. It was hard in the beginning, but in time she got used to it just being her and her mother. They had gotten closer during those hard times, and she felt as if she could tell her mother anything.

"You're being for real? I'm not just dreamin' or something am I?" Trixie mumbled as she looked at her mom. She had to make sure that this wasn't some dream, or twisted game.

"I mean every word baby girl." Melanie smiled at the childish look on her daughter's face. "I still have to leave tomorrow to go back to Paris, but once I get everything settled there, I'll be home for good." At Melanie's conformation, Trixie let out the most uncharacteristic girly scream that anyone had ever heard come from her. Soon she was squeezing Melanie tightly while she spun them around. The sight alone caused everyone to laugh at the how the two were behaving.

Those memories of last night remained fresh in Orianna's mind. She hadn't told Trixie about her kiss with Jake, mostly out of the knowledge that she would never hear the end of it. Besides, at this stage in their newfound relationship, she and Jake had to first figure out things themselves; before they could announce anything. After laying in bed for another twenty minutes or so, daydreaming about her kiss, Orianna got up and prepared herself to say goodbye to her family. When she finally made it downstairs, wearing a light green sweater and her favorite pair of jeans, she smiled cheerily as her family was all gathered around the dinner table.

"Morning everyone…" Orianna said to the group.

"Morning baby, did you sleep well last night?" Anita asked as she placed a plate in front of her.

"Yes ma'am."

"She must have, since I heard her talking in her sleep to some boy name last night." Cory said.

Orianna looked to the boy mortified at her revelation. Cory was the type of boy to be like the annoying little brother she never had, and this particular moment, never wanted. Feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment, she leaned her head forward, trying to use her hair as a curtain. Obviously the rest of the family must have been just as shocked as she was that the young boy would say something like that, but it was his father who was the one to rebuke him.

"Cory!" Trent gave his middle child a stern glare of warning. "What were you doing in Orianna's room in the first place?"

"I told you he talked too much." Sam said to no one in particular, as she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She had been victim to Cory's big mouth far too many times in the past. It seemed that her little brother would only stop once she threatened him.

"I wasn't in her room." Cory said, slightly flushed. "I was going to the bathroom, and I could hear her from the hall."

"Sooo…" Cindy, Trent's wife cooed, trying to take the awkwardness from the setting. "We should get going. Our plane leaves in a few hours."

"Yeah, ours to…" Patrick chimed in as he finished the last of his breakfast. "I can't believe Felicia left so early this morning." Felicia had decided to book an earlier flight out of New York, claiming she had import business to take care of.

"You know your sister, always on the move." Anita walked to her children as they gathered their things to leave. "I'm going to miss all of you." She hugged her sons, while she gave Cindy a quick hug and kiss on the cheeks. "And I'm defiantly going to miss you three." She leaned forward as she gave her grandchildren hugs and kisses, taking extra care to leave Troy with even more kisses.

"We'll miss you to grandma." Both same and Cory said in unison.

"Cory baby, next time learn when to say things and when to keep quite alright?" she smiled tenderly at her young grandson.

"Alright." Cory turned to looked at Orianna with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that Anna."

"Don't worry about it." Orianna walked to the boy to give him a hug goodbye. As she pulled away, she went to give all the others gathered a hug farewell also.

"It was nice meeting you Anna. Next time, you and Trixie can come visit us down in Georgia." Trent offered.

"I would like that." Orianna smiled.

"Trixie…" Trixie turned to see her mother coming down the stairs with her bags in tow. "Can you help me with these?"

Trixie walked the remaining distance to help Melanie with her bags. Last night the two had a long talk about what was to happen next. After the occasional 'I'm sorry' they both agreed that would be enough with apologies. They would work together to build a stronger relationship in the future, just as soon Melanie returned from her work in Paris.

"While I'm gone, I want you to keep me updated on everything with school." Melanie smiled tearfully as she gave her daughter a hug. "That goes for both of you." Melanie reached over to gather Orianna in her hug.

"We will mama, but if you don't let us breath, then the only place we goin' is the grave." Trixie joked, as she tried to pull away from her mother's vice grip.

"Sorry…" Melanie apologized. "I'm going to miss you two. I want you to promise that when the winter dance comes around, you'll take lost of pictures." Melanie gushed to the girls.

"You have our word." Orianna promised. There was something about Melanie that Orianna liked. She was like mother figure, but not in the same sense as Akeeda, but still comforting.

"Well, we should get going. You don't want to miss your flight do you?" Anita called from the door as she gather her keys and coat. She had insisted that she drop everyone off to the airport, at the slight protest of her children, who thought that there was no way they would all be able to fit in her small sedan. She had conceded that it was impossible to have them all fit, so she agreed to drop just Melanie off while the others followed in a cab.

"Are you sure you don't want to come; Anna? We have plenty of room." Anita asked Orianna one last time.

"No, I have some worked to get done before school tomorrow. But thanks for the offer. I'll see you guys later." Orianna said as everyone began to file out of the house. She had wanted a moment to herself to think of all the things that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. Not only that, put she wanted to get a little practice in today.

"Bye!" Came the collective call of her family as they made their way to the two cabs, and Anita's car outside.

As Orianna watched as the group pulled away, she closed the door with a sigh. She was happy that no one had made more mention to Cory's outburst. It would have been hard to explain why she was calling out a boy's name as she slept. She didn't, however think that this was the end of it. As a matter of fact, she knew without a doubt that this was far from over, if Trixie had anything to say about it. After Cory had announced to the whole table that she had been calling a boy's name out in her sleep, Orianna saw the flicker of understanding that crossed Trixie's eyes.

The other girl knew full well whose name Orianna must have said in her sleep. She would no doubt have a lot of explaining to do once she came back from the airport, but right now she was happy to be left alone with her memories. She could feel herself being gently tugged back into the sweet dream that she had last night. But before the memory could lull her completely, she snapped herself out of the seductive trance. She had to find some way to distract herself, or she would be nothing more than a puddle of lust and hormones.

As she walked into the kitchen, the sight of dirty dishes gave her just the opportunity that she needed to distract herself from any lingering thoughts. Truthfully, this gave her the perfect opportunity to not only clear her head, but also to get some of her training done without even leaving the house. She had been planning on perfecting her level of control during today's lesson, and what better way to learn control than with handling small objects. Making sure that no one had reentered the house, Orianna set her gaze on the dirty dishes.

As a rule, she had to be able to see the items that she wished to affect, but she had learned recently that this wasn't always the case. It wasn't simply maintaining eye contact with the target that gave you control over it, but using your will to dominate over the target. So Orianna closed her eyes and reached out with her will, commanding the dishes to rise. She could feel the all too familiar tingle in her spirit as the soft clinking sound of glass reached her ears. When she opened her eyes again, she saw all the dishes hovering mere inches from the sink.

With a mental summons, she called the sponge Anita used into action. With a wave of her hands, the faucet head on the sink began to turn, spilling water into the sink. At a point, the water ceased to fall in the sink, and began to flow upwards to the hovering dishes. Water began to mix with soap, as Orianna brought her magic to bear on the utensils. The ease at which she performed this most mundane of task was astounding. Soon all the dishes were washed and placed in the proper place. As she stared at the rest of the kitchen, she thought she might as well finish it all.

The pantry door swung opened, as a broom and mop shuffled their way into the kitchen. At Orianna's command, a mop bucket revealed itself from the cupboard under the sink and began to fill itself with water. All the items worked in unison as they set about cleaning the kitchen. In the short span of ten minutes, the entire area was spotless. As Orianna surveyed her work, her concentration was broken by the high pitched sound of her cell phone. She immediately recognized the tone, having not changed it since Trixie and Sam. Orianna rushed to the living room, only narrowly missing the ottoman.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly into the receiver.

"What where you doing?" came Jake's amused baritone.

"I was cleaning." She said bashfully.

"Sounds like you were running a marathon." He chuckled slightly.

"Maybe I just really wanted to get to the phone." Orianna's voiced had dropped a few octaves, as memories of the previous day came to the forefront of her thoughts.

"I've been thinking about you to." Jake's voice had lost all of its humor. He was being completely honest with her at that moment. Ever since yesterday, all he could do was think about his Dove. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't think, Hell he couldn't even eat, which was a strange sight for his family. He just excused himself from the table and went straight to his room. His mind was racing with images of Orianna, at the soft feel of her lips against his. It was all he could do not to rush to her house and take her into his arms.

He had so much energy at that point that he felt like he would explode. He needed to find a way to get rid of it, or he would never get to sleep. He told himself that if he went out patrolling, he would be able to keep his mind off of her, but little good that did him. He seen her in everything he did. The moon reminded him of her hair, and the stars, of her eyes. He felt the cooling wind wrap around him, and thought how much like her arms they were. He had decided then and there, that tomorrow, he had to see her.

"Really…" Orianna asked shyly. Then almost on its own volition her mouth began to form words in a more seductive tone. "What were you thinking about?" she could have sworn she heard Jake take in a sharp breath of air.

"About how soft you are…" he didn't skip a beat as he began to rattle off the list of things he thought about her. "About how much kissing you reminded me of flying. About how sprung I think I am…" he finished his last comment with a laugh.

"Now now Mr. Long. There is nothing for you to be ashamed of." She tsked in her lovely accented voice. "Especially not when those same feelings are reciprocated." She smiled against the phone as she heard his laugh.

"I want to see you." Jake said as the smile on his face grew wider. He had been in desperate need to see her since yesterday. It was almost like she was a drug, and if he didn't get a hit soon, he would go insane.

"When…?" She asked lightly, feeling the overwhelming need to see him arise.

"Now…. That is, unless you still have cleaning to do."

"Nothing that can't be finished later. Give me a few minutes and I'll pick you up from your house."

"So I'm the girl now? You're coming pick me up?" Jake laughed at her choice to come pick her up. But he had to admit, he was somewhat pleased with it. Rose had never taken the time to actually volunteer to come pick him up from his home.

"You sure are sweetheart. Now sit tight until I get there okay?" Orianna adopted a more motherly tone as she spoke to him, only barely being able to hold in her laughter.

"Yes mommy!" Jake yelled childishly.

"Bye, crazy." Orianna laughed at his antics.

"See you in a bit."

Orianna closed her phone and shot up the stairs to her room to get her shoes. Before she walked out of the house, she made sure to leave her aunt Anita a note, telling her where she would be. She could have just as easily texted Trixie to let her know where she was headed, but thought against it. While Orianna walked the few blocks to Jake house, she adjusted her hair, making sure it didn't look wild. When she made it to his steps, she rang the bell and waited anxiously for him to answer. She could hear Jake yelling to someone else in the house that the door was for him. Orianna's head shot up when the door was flung open, to reveal a smiling Jake.

"Hi…" Jake breathed out.

"Hi yourself, now who's the one who sounds like they were running a marathon?" Orianna said teasingly.

"Maybe I just wanted to get to the door." Jake said, using her own words against her. "Come in…" he gave her an apprising look as he stepped aside to let her in. Once she passed him, he couldn't help but to let his eyes travel a little further south than he should. "God…" he whispered as he glanced at her bottom mesmerized.

"What was that?" Orianna asked as she walked further into the home.

"Uh… nothing, you look nice by the way." Jake said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Thank you." Orianna blushed sweetly. A brief silence covered the room as both teenagers looked at one another.

"My parents wanted me to invite you to lunch. Said that last time they didn't get a chance to really get to know you." Jake broke the silence.

"Oh, um…. Well I did say that I would stay next time, didn't I?" she recalled the last time she had meet Jake's family.

"They tend to hold people to their promises. But if you're not up to it, I can tell them that you're not comfortable."

"No, no, its fine." She smiled reassuringly. "Unless you're saying you don't want me to have lunch with your family." That teasing edge was back. Orianna didn't quite understand what I was that Jake brought out of her, but she liked it.

"I would love for you to have lunch with me…" Jake said as he inched closer towards her. He stopped just in front of her, almost close enough to touch. "But I wasn't planning on sharing you today." The tension that covered them was almost palpable. He could almost see the wanting rolling off of himself towards her.

"Then maybe we could spend some time together by ourselves later." Orianna said almost challenging. She took the extra step needed, and softly pressed herself to Jake. It was animalistic, almost primal, the way they responded to each other now. The unspoken attraction was nearly to its zenith, as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Is that a promise?" he asked huskily.

"Maybe…" she let the word hang, as she made her way to the living room to say hello to Jake's parents.

Lunch went wonderfully, as Orianna got to know Jake's parents better. She could defiantly see herself getting along with Mrs. Long quite nicely. Her earlier perception of Mr. Long wasn't that far off the mark. The man was a hopeless romantic, who on more than one occasion dropped hits to her and his son. Hailey was your typical little sister when it came to getting on Jake's last nerves. There was one member of the family who was noticeably absent, Jake's grandfather Lao Shi.

"Grandpa's at the shop with Fu. Those two rarely leave that old place." Jake said mildly.

"Fu…. Isn't that the name of your dog?" Orianna asked quizzically.

"Yeah, he's supposed to be like an attack dog for the shop." There was a hint of nervousness in his voice just then. As Orianna looked around the room, she could see that same expression on all the family's face. Something seemed a little off about his reaction to her question, but she soon dropped the subject.

"Thank you for inviting me to lunch Mrs. Long. The food was delicious."

"It was my pleasure. I was surprised when Jake said you would be joining us." Susan said.

"Mom!" Jake's face turned a crimson shade of red. Orianna looked at him suspiciously for just a beat before she addressed Susan again.

"I hope I didn't intrude." Orianna said.

Jake looked to Orianna with new eyes. The girl didn't skip a beat when his mother mentioned Jake wanted her to have lunch with them. This part of the relationship, meeting the parents, was traditionally held only when a person felt really strongly about someone. He knew that he liked her, and that she liked him, but what was the extent of their feeling for each other. He listened as Orianna talked with his family, and noticed how easily she fit in. His mother seemed almost drawn to the young woman, while his dad took an immediate shine to her. That could have been because he was happy that his son wasn't dating a ex dragon slayer. Even Hailey seemed inviting.

"Sorry to eat and run mom, but me and O have plans for the rest of the day." Jake said as he rose from the table and placed his plate in the sink.

"Oh, well I hope we get to see you soon Anna. And as always it was a pleasure having you." Susan smiled towards the young girl.

"Thanks again for lunch. And I would love to visit again soon." Orianna said as she followed Jake to the front door.

Orianna and Jake made their way towards Central Park. The air outside was becoming colder with each passing day. Seeing Orianna shiver slightly, Jake wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Before, that gesture would have made her blush, but now, after sharing such a heated kiss, his possessive nature was most welcoming. The two walked in relative silence through the park, until they came to a bench. Watching the few pedestrians walk by, Jake began to feel anxious.

"How did you sleep last night?" The question seemed to just fall out of his mouth.

"Good… I had a wonderful dream." She smiled wistfully at the sky, as the memory reemerged.

"So what does this mean…" Jake looked to Orianna's face for a split second before looking back at his hands."I mean you and me? There was an underline tone of fear in his voice as he asked her that question.

"What do you want it to mean?" she looked to him dead on. She was willing to put it all out in the open, if he was ready to do so as well.

"Like I said before, I want to see where this is going."

"So do I. I'll admit I was a little scared at first…" she was embarrassed to admit that she was scared to explore her budding feeling for Jake. "But you right, we owe it to ourselves to see what this could be." Jake listened as she talked, noticing the sparkle that was in her eyes that wasn't there a moment ago. She was willing to go through with it, to go along with what he was saying.

"So does this mean we're dating?" her question sound so child-like and innocent.

"I guess you could say that." Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. He didn't want it to seem like he was rushing headlong into this, but he didn't want to losing what they had either. "We don't have to put titles on it. We'll just see how it goes from here."

"Agreed…" she gave a sideward's glance to Jake. "Who says you don't have anything going for you besides video games and skateboarding?" she said laughingly.

"I have other good qualities!" Jake said indignantly.

"Do tell…" Orianna said with a laugh. "Tell me Mr. Long, what is it that you have that can make me think twice about you?"

"Well there's my smile." He said while flashing her his most brilliant smile. "Then there's the hair, you can't go wrong with the hair." He ran his hands through his black and green highlighted locks. "And you can't forget the abs." He lifted his shirt above his stomach, showcasing a perfect six pack.

"Give me a break." Orianna laughed, while she pulled his shirt back down. "You'll have to do better than that."

Jake features changed as he leaned in closer to her.

"How about this?" this kiss was just as sweet as the other. While it of course held sexual tension, it also had a purer sense to it. He wasn't rough, or demanding with the kiss. He allowed her to either accept his advances or pull away. When she returned his kiss in equal intensity, his heart swooped, as his stomach fell to his ankles. As their kiss lingered on, the two didn't notice that they had gained a small audience of cooing onlookers.

When Jake woke up the following morning, he was actually looking forward to attending school. He set his clock early, so that he would have time to walk to Orianna's house and walk with her to school. At first he was a little apprehensive about being in public with O, but his mounting affection trumped any fear he had. Whether people accepted their relationship or not meant nothing to him. He cared about her, and the fact that Trixie and Spud would stand by him no matter what helped ease the tension.

As he walked up the few steps leading to Orianna's door, he paused a second to make sure everything about him was fresh. He blew a puff of breath in the palm of his hand to make sure it was still minty fresh, and happy with the smell, he rang the bell.

"Right on time." Orianna answered the door smiling.

"Had to be baby girl, or else you wouldn't have been happy with me." Jake said suavely

"Get a room you two." Trixie came walking down the stairs just in time to catch the little exchange between them. Orianna and she had a long talk once she had gotten back home. She wasn't surprised when Orianna told her that she and Jake had shared a kiss. Well that was before Anna had informed her that it was her first kiss. Trixie, like all girls, knew of the importance of their first kiss, and for Orianna to chose Jake as the first boy she kissed must have meant a lot to her.

"You jealous Trixie? I can walk you to school to if you want."

"No dice baby boy. Spud meeting me half way, we wanna have our own snuggle time before returning to that Hell we call a school."

The walk to school was far different this time, from what Orianna was used to. She and Jake exchanged coy looks as they talked about the things they couldn't get out during the talk in the park. They held hand almost the entire way there, but once they got within distance of the high school, they wordlessly agreed to hold off on any public displays just yet. They didn't want the whole student body involved in their business at this early stage in the game.

As the student filled into the halls, going to their lockers to retrieve their books for the first class, Orianna separated from Jake to get her things. She was wrapped in a blanket of pure happiness. Everything was actually going fine in her life. She had managed to find a pretty secluded place to train; those strange creatures hadn't made an appearance since their initial attack. She was able to meet her family for the first time, without it being completely awkward. And to top it all off, she had her first kiss with a boy she thought had the potential to be so much more than just a friend. She was so wrapped up in her own world, that she didn't notice the shadow that fell over her.

"I see you haven't changed a bit."

That voice. It caused every fiber in her being to stand on end. She had never expected to hear that voice again. When she first came to America, she was heartbroken. It seemed as though fate had plotted against her happiness. She had finally gained the attention of a boy, only to have that opportunity snatched away from her. As she turned slowly to face the voice that had hunted her dreams while she was home in Africa, her heart gave a lurch.

"Adam…" his name came out as a whisper. He was still the same. Those honey colored eyes, offset by the bronzed skin still cause a quiver in her legs. His hair had grown a little since last she saw him, but it was to still the same. His clothing reflected his transfer to American culture, as her had reflected upon her. The simple cotton polo shirt clung tightly to his sturdy frame, as slightly baggy jeans hung loose on his hips.

"Hello Orianna."

It seemed as though fate had yet to finish playing with her. It had chosen this time, this moment, to deliver her past to her. Not to mention that it delivered it in a nicely done package. Orianna forced a smile, while internally her mind was screaming. 'Why him? Why now?!'

**_To be continued…_**

**_A/N: Hip hip… Hooray! I finished another chapter. It has been a long time coming, but I finally finished. This was a easy chapter, and I must say that I enjoyed ever second of it. It could have actually gone on further, but I decided to break it up into two different chapters. After this point, everything will start to fall into place. You'll learn a lot more about Adam's past, and what's his connection to Orianna. I'm getting excited cause I knew that once I reached the introduction of Adam into the story that everything after that would start to fall into place. You guys will never be able to guess how things are about to change for our group. Well, I'll stop stringing you along… or am i?! Naw, just kidding. The amount of reviews will help motivate me to put the next chapter out sooner, so I ask that people don't just read the story, but review also. I hate it when I look at my traffic and see that all these people read my stories, yet I only get a hand full of reviews. Totally uncool people._** :(


	14. Revelations, Trials and Choices pt 1

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: I've managed to sit down to write another chapter. The fan support has been really inspiring, and I can give you my word that I won't give up on this story. Regardless of how long it may take me to get to the end, trust and believe, there will be an end. The following chapters will reveal quite a few things about Orianna. Pasts will be revisited, and identities revealed. Not everything will be as most of my readers expect, and I can guarantee quite a few twists and turns. At the moment, I have decided how long this chapter will be. The last chapter that I wrote for another one of my stories was well over 12,000 so be prepared. As you can see, this is but part one of a two part chapter. I have come to a decision; I'll be posting two chapters of each of my stories at a time. Meaning, from now on, I'll write two chapters ahead before posting. Isn't that great?! Anyway, on with the post!!!

**Revelations, Trials and Choices pt. 1**

"Well aren't you going to say hello?" Adam's voice called out over the raging sounds of Orianna's pounding heart.

Orianna stood fixed to her spot, unable to believe how rotten her luck could be. She had finally come to some kind of quasi-relationship with Jake, only to have everything come to a screeching halt. Not to be misunderstood, she was happy beyond belief to see Adam again. She just didn't know how things would play out now that he was here. How would she explain Adam to Jake, or for that matter, how would she explain Jake to him. Realizing that she had yet to form a single word, Orianna plastered on a fake smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, before she greeted Adam.

"Adam, wow; what a surprise." she tensely leaned forward to give him a slight hug. "What are you doing here, how did you get here?" Orianna tried her best to sound relaxed, but she could hear her voice rise when she asked him that last question.

"An old friend of my late father arranged for me to come to school here in America. He thought that it would give me better opportunities to brighten my future." Adam said. When he felt Orianna began to pull away, his grip on her tightened. "It seems as if it has been forever since I've last seen you, yet you're still that shy girl back in our small village. Though with a few more… shall we say, quirks?" his tone belayed his appreciation of her change. Last he had seen her; she was almost completely covered from head to toe. The Orianna that stood before him now was more womanly, almost as if she had aged five years in the short amount of time they had been separated.

Orianna's self-consciousness betrayed her as she smoothed out her silvery white lock. Amongst the people she had come to call friends, the way she dressed now was simply her. But in front of Adam, someone she had known since she was a little girl, she couldn't help but feel she was dressed inappropriately.

"Thank you. I see that you've also taken to a more American style of dress." The loose fitting jeans and tight shirt was a new look for him.

"It was a necessity. America is so much different than our home; I thought it best to actually look the part." He smiled charmingly at her. He couldn't help but feel she was apprehensive while around him, like she was trying to hide something. "Is everything alright Orianna? You seem nervous."

"I'm fine!" Orianna assured him. Was her discomfort really that obvious now, that she was not even capable of hiding it from him?

"I'm just still surprised that you're here." Orianna admitted once again. Orianna had never been a good lair, Akeeda used to be able to tell when she was lying before she even had a chance to speak. So it was at this point, she was trying to look at anywhere but Adam's eyes. Her vision feel just beyond Adam's shoulder; and with that, Orianna caught a glimpse of someone, who at this time, she had hoped to avoid. Jake was walking directly towards her locker, no doubt planning on walking with her to their first class. She wasn't ready to have to explain to Jake about who Adam was.

She didn't quite know why she was trying to hide Adam; it wasn't like the two had anything going on. Sure at one time while she was home she thought about being more than friends with him. And right before she left for America, it seemed that maybe he had been thinking the same thing, but situations had changed, she had changed. She had moved on from her silly crush, and found someone that truly made her happy, even if she didn't tell him everything about who she was.

Seeing that Jake had yet to make it to here locker, her brain began to plot a way that would give her the opportunity to remove herself from a potentially awkward situation. Calling upon her eldritch abilities, she directed an intangible stream of power at Jake's book bag, causing the strap to snap. The result was just as Orianna had hoped; Jake's books went tumbling down to the floor. Orianna watched, slightly upset with herself, as Jake looked embarrassed as he picked up his book. When she turned back to Adam, the young African teen had an amused grin on his face.

"What?" Orianna asked, still ashamed at her actions. Adam only looked at her with a knowing glance.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if maybe you were tired. While I was talking to you, all you did was look off into space." Adam walked closer towards her before again asking her if she was alright. "Maybe we should find you someplace to rest, if you're not feeling well."

"Did you get your schedule?" Orianna's question was blurted out. She had to get away for a second, and try to think of what she should do next.

"Uhhh… no, I only just arrived. I haven't had time to…" Adam wasn't able to get the rest of the words out, as Orianna grabbed him by the forearm and dragged him down the hall.

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Across town, in an old brownstone in the Harlem neighborhood, a timid Azul stood before the door leading to his master's chambers. Ever since they had located Adam in that remote village in Africa, things had begun to change. He saw a new spark in his master's eyes, something that denoted his return to his former self. Yes indeed, things had been set in motion; the moment Adam set foot in this country, things that Azul wasn't entirely sure how it would affect him.

"You know how much I hate it when you lurk outside my door." The voice echoed from the other side of the doorway, sending a chill down Azul's spine. Swallowing the bile that arose in his throat, Azul cautiously open the door.

"A thousand pardons master, your servant only wished to gather his thoughts before approaching you." Azul kneeled before the looming shadow of the man. He placed his forehead to the floor, not willing to look his master directly in the eye until he was instructed to speak.

"I don't have time for your sniveling, tell how the boy is doing?!" From the shadow's the man's eyes seemed to burn with contempt.

"I have enrolled him in the school, as you instructed." Azul's voice quivered with fear, as he heard the inpatients in his master's voice.

"Good, and what of the girl?" the shadow spit out the sentence with such distaste.

"Our intelligence was correct. The one that Adam calls Orianna was indeed attending the school, though I'm not sure if she is the one we are looking for." for the first time, Azul looked into the face of the man who had claimed dominion over his soul. "Master Lamia… should she be the one, then all of your plans will come to fruition." Azul praised before Lamia.

The man, who had not seconds ago been shrouded in darkness, leaned forward to reveal his face in the dim light. He had sharp features, with pale white skin and narrowed eyes. His attempt at a smile was little more than a way to distill fear in the heart of those who looked upon him. Cold eyes, the color of ice, seared into Azul, causing the man immediately fixed his face once again to the floor.

"And the world shall fall to its knees." The words dripped from his mouth, as his cackling laugh resonated throughout the entire house.

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The day began in the worst possible way for Orianna; she had never been so stressed in her entire life. She had thought that once she had gotten Adam out of the same area as Jake that things would be a little less hectic, but she couldn't have been more wrong. It turned out, that she and Adam would be sharing quite a few classes together, which meant that Adam would have classes with Jake as well. Things were defiantly not going her way, and the more she tried to fix it, the worse things got.

Throughout her first period class, she was not able to focus on a word the teacher was saying. Her mind only revolved around what would happen when she had to introduce the two men in her life to one another. After countless times of going over what she would do, Orianna's mind finally came to a decision. In warfare, a preemptive strike was the best strategy to engage your enemy. Orianna would not wait until the moment was upon her to explain to Jake who Adam was. She would do it in her own way, and in her own time, which would be now.

"Are you alright?" Jake's concerned eyes fell on Orianna. For most of the class period, he had been watching her, trying to figure out what was bothering his girl. His thoughts had gone from her not feeling well, to her second guessing their newfound relationship status. At the thought that maybe she wasn't ready to take that step with him, Jake felt as though his heart was breaking into a million pieces. This felt worse than when Rose walked out on him.

"I'm fine, really." Orianna tried to ease Jake's worry by flashing him a reassuring smile.

"You just seemed a little off lately. I thought that maybe it was something I did." Jake words sounded with relief. She wasn't second guessing them, and that was enough for him.

"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong." Orianna couldn't believe how stupid she was. Of course Jake would feel a little antsy by the way she was acting. It was only a few months ago that he and Rose broke up. And after the way things ended with them, it was no wonder he could feel as though he had messed up. "Jake, there something I really need to tell you."

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" his compliment shattered whatever it was that she was about to say. "Or that every time I look in your eyes, I feel like I'm drowning, but I mean that in a good way." Jake's surrounding began to fade away, and the classroom, the other students, the teacher, they were all gone. The only thing that was left was him and his dove, the girl who owned his heart.

"Orianna… Dove, I know this might sound crazy and maybe it is, but I just have to say this." Jake took a deep breath to clam himself, and when he looked back to Orianna, his breath caught in his throat. After this, there was no going back, he would never be able to take back the words he was about to say. But that didn't matter, because he knew, without a shadow of doubt, that he would mean every word. "Dove, I think I'm falling in love with you."

Orianna heard his words, seen the raw emotion pour from him, and all the while she was stuck. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't hear anything else but what he said. That one word echoed in her mind as she replayed his confession in her mind over and over again. Love… love… he said that he was falling in love with her. What was she to do with that information?

"Oh Jake… I-I…" she fumbled for the right words, trying desperately to get her mind to cooperate with the rest of her. Jake only chuckled lightly before cupping her cheek tenderly.

"You don't have to say anything, not right now at least. I just wanted you to know how I felt."

His smiled was soft, and so full of love, that it took Orianna's breathe away. She couldn't do it, not after that. She couldn't tell him that the guy she had liked for so long was back in her life. Later she would be ashamed to admit that she had allowed her fear to rule over her, but right now, the only emotions that she felt were happiness and an unwavering love for this boy.

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Calculus was a class that she wasn't looking forward to. Not only would she have to suffer through Rotwood's insufferable ramblings, but also have to sit in a class with Adam. Thankfully, she only had to endure one of them. It seemed as though Professor Rotwood would be out of class today, something dealing with a seminar of some kind. The class had gone surprisingly well, with their new substitute teacher.

Another highlight was that with Adam so far behind the class, he didn't have time to pay attention to anything else but the lecture, which gave Orianna time to gather her thoughts. She knew now the course of action she would take. What she had with Adam was in the past now, but what she had with Jake was what was happening now. She wouldn't jeopardize her future with him by reliving the past.

The sound of the bell signaled the end of the period, and as Orianna gathered her things, she waited for Adam outside in the hall. She would tell him, if it was the last thing she did, she would tell Adam that things had changed and she was going to pursue a relationship with Jake. When she finally gather her nerves and was preparing to drop the news, Adam asked her a question.

"Is this our first class?" Adam asked, as he looked at his schedule to confirm the room number.

"What..." Orianna looked to the room that Adam had pointed to. She had almost forgotten that she was in the middle of a school day. It wasn't until she felt the warm puff of someone breathing on her ear, that she let the haze clear from her thoughts.

"Did you miss me?" Jake asked seductively. Even though they had agreed not to expose their relationship this soon, he couldn't help but be close to her, to touch her.

"Jake." Orianna swooned ever so slightly as she pressed her back to his front. It amazed her how he was able to take away her worry and troubles and leave her feeling so at ease. Maybe she should give him a nickname.

"Can we help you?" Adam's slightly irritated voice broke though Orianna's serene moment, and brought her crashing back to reality.

"Uh, no dude, I'm fine." Jake had no clue as to who this guy was, but maybe he had mistaken Jake for someone else.

"Apparently you're not, seeing as you have your arms wrapped around my friend." Adam reached for Orianna's forearm a tried pulling her away from Jake. There was barely a foot separating Jake and Orianna, before Jake began to pull her back. This guy must have some serious issues if he thought Jake would allow him to put his hands on his Dove. After a few seconds of letting Jake and Adam play tug of war with her limbs, reasoning finally set in on Orianna.

"Adam wait, I can explain." Orianna pressed her hand to Adam's chest, trying to keep him a good distance from Jake. Both boys looked as though they wanted to rip each other's heads off.

"O, you know this guy?!" Jake didn't take his eyes off of the new guy for a second.

"She has known me since we were children, which is more than I can say for you!" Adam retorted. This was getting out of hand, and if Orianna didn't do something soon, things could get physical. She turned back to Jake with a pleading look, almost begging him to listen carefully to what she was about to say.

"Yes, I do. Adam and I lived in the same village where I grew up." That seemed to have gotten Jake's attention. "I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, so I guess you could say that his was the first real friend I had."

"And had she not left when she did, we could have been more than friends." Adam's tone was resolute. He had been wrestling with his thoughts ever since he had arrived in America. What was it about Orianna that pulled at him so? At first he thought it was mere lust, or some kind of infatuation, but as time when on, he realized that is was something more. He had grown accustomed to having her around, and when she left, nothing seemed right about the small village.

"What?! Say man, you better watch what you saying." Jake's anger was beginning to grow.

"Adam!" Orianna shriek in embarrassment. She had never thought that Adam really liked her to that point, and she wasn't expecting him to announce it right in front of Jake.

"Look man, I don't know what you and Orianna had in the past…" It was the first time in a long time that Jake had ever used Orianna's real name, and it wasn't something that went unnoticed by her. "But that's all that it is, the past. She's with me now."

"Really, and does she always like it when you claim her as property?" Adam's accent began to thicken with his anger, as he started daggers at Jake. "I hadn't heard her say a word regarding your so –called relationship."

Orianna paused on her respond, but only for a second. She knew what she wanted to say, and there was nothing that would stop her from saying it.

"Adam… he's right. Jake and I are together." Orianna tried as best she could to break it to him gently.

"So you're going to just let him lay claim to you like you're some kind of possession, some mere trinket to amuse him for the moment?!"

"Hey!" Jake voiced his outrage at Adam's insinuation that all he saw Orianna as was some prize.

"What you just said Adam was completely out of line." Orianna's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment, before settling back to their normal serene expression. "He doesn't treat me like a thing Adam; he treats me as a person. He likes me for me, for who I am." Orianna tried to make him understand that she was really happy with Jake, but she could see that it wasn't making as much as an impact as she hoped.

"Does he really, or does he like you for the person he thinks you are?" Adam demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Orianna looked puzzled at Adam's cryptic question. Without saying another word, Adam walked off down the hall. The warning bell sounded through the halls, as Orianna watched Adam disappear around the corner.

"What did he mean by who I think you are?" Jake scoffed at the thought. "Let's go or we'll be late for class." Jake didn't bother to make eye contact with her, before walking into the classroom, leaving a rather stunned Orianna.

Orianna could only stand there, thinking about what Adam had just said. His comment about who Jake thought she was; what could he mean by that? She had been completely honest with Jake, or as honest as she could be. There was only one aspect of her life that she had yet to share with him, and that was the true nature of her. She had only given him a glimpse of who she really was, but she did that only to protect him, or so she thought.

Maybe her motives weren't as self sacrificing as she thought. When she began to feel her emotions shift more heavily towards Jake, she reasoned with herself that keeping her double life a secret was her way of protecting him from the truth. He wouldn't be able to understand what she was, so she kept it from him. But maybe that was all a lie, to help ease her guilt. She lied to him because she wanted to keep him, she wanted to keep this one aspect of her life normal. But logic made her think otherwise. She never spoke of her lineage to anyway, save Akeeda.

"How…" Orianna whispered the word to herself. If it was indeed her powers that Adam was referring to, how did he know? Throughout her training he had been completely cautious with hiding her identity from other people. Of course there were those few times while she slept that she may have had a outburst or two, but no one was able to pinpoint that to her.

The school day was drawing to a close, and there was still no sign of Adam, since he had stormed off down the hallway hours before. Since the confrontation, Jake had been somewhat distant with Orianna. Orianna chalked it up to him needing time to gather his thoughts about all the things that had happened over the last few hours. She only grew concerned when after their final class together, he walked off in the opposite direction, mumble something about forgetting something in the gym. After final bell, Orianna took to recapping the events of the day to Trixie, who was none too pleased that Adam had put his hands on her cousin.

"Is that all you heard throughout that entire conversation?" Orianna asked, only slightly joking.

"Naw, I heard the rest of it, but that's the part that's pissing me off the most." Trixie followed Orianna outside the school. "Soooo… did you and this guy have something going on?" There was a brief silence between them. Orianna didn't rightfully know how to answer that question. She would admit that she had always wanted something to happen between Adam and her, but nothing ever came to be of it.

"It's complicated." Orianna bit her lower lip thoughtfully as she considered her answer. "Do you remember that conversation we had when I first came here, about me ever having a boyfriend?" Orianna waited for Trixie to nod her head yes. "Well that guy was Adam. Not to say that he was my boyfriend or anything, but there was a time that I wanted him to be."

"Well why didn't you just tell Jake that? It would have saved you a lot of grief had you just told him." Trixie gave her honest opinion.

"Truthfully, I didn't know what to do. I have never been faced with something like this before, and I guess I just froze." The image of Jake flashed before Orianna's mind. She hadn't seen him that distracted since he confessed to her that he had broken up with Rose. "You know, even after all of this, I can't help but feel that it isn't over. Like this one moment in time will plague me for the rest of my life." Orianna stopped in her steps and groaned angrily towards the sky.

"Now I think you're taking this a little to far." Trixie patted Orianna on the shoulder. "As long as you explained to Jake that what was going on between you and this Adam guy is all in the past, he'll understand." At the sound of Orianna's moan, Trixie looked to her expectantly. "You did talk to him afterwards didn't you?"

"I didn't have a chance. As soon as our classes were over, he gave some excuse to run away. I think I really hurt him Trix." Orianna turned pleading eyes to her only support at the moment. Things had gone downhill ever since Adam had arrived, and at the moment, she wasn't handling the situation all that well.

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know, he said something about heading to the gym or something." Orianna messaged the bridge of her nose, feeling a migraine coming on.

"Then what are you doing here talking to me? Go find him, and tell him what the deal is." Trixie grabbed the books that Orianna was holding, and shoved her in the direction to the school.

"Alright, no need to get physical, but if I come home in tears because you made me rush things, I'm going to hold you personally responsible." Orianna aimed at being lighthearted, in an attempt to stave off the anxiety she was feeling.

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On her way to the gym, Orianna thought long and hard as to what she would tell Jake. Though she couldn't take back the things that had happen, she could, at the very least, try her best to rectify them. She would tell Jake of her past with Adam, and she would tell him how things had changed. Even though she had once envisioned herself with Adam, the only person that she could see in her life now was Jake.

And most of all, she would tell him about her life before moving to America. There was that ever present fear that he wouldn't understand, that he would reject her because he would think of her as a freak. Nevertheless, she would meet this challenge, this obstacle standing between them, head on, she wouldn't hide from this any longer. It was time she stopped running away from who she was, and embraced it with all the consequences. If she wanted a future with Jake, she would have to trust that he would be able to handle this huge piece of information and still see her the same way. After all, he did say that he was in love with her

"I'll do it." Orianna said to no one, trying to pump herself up.

The gym was in a building separated from the main area. The large bay windows reflected the pale autumn sun, casting a soft glow on the surrounding area. Had she been simply taking a walk, she would have stopped to take in the sight. Through the windows, she could see the indoor pool, its watery surface being disturbed by someone take a swim. As she grew closer towards the building, she was able to make out another figure standing on the opposite end of the pool. There was a glare from the sun, covering the person standing before the pool, but as the swimmer climbed the stairs leading out to the pool, Orianna was able to make out just who it was that was taking that swim.

Rose. Her predecessor, and the girl who had all but owned Jake a few months prior. How ironic it was that in the midst of her looking for Jake, she should see his old flame. There was a moment that Orianna paused in her steps, thinking that maybe she should simply wait for Jake to make it home, before that discussed the previous events of the day. Orianna was in the process of turning on her heel to head back towards the front courtyard, when a stray cloud scuttled its way across the sky, obscuring the sun's rays. The glare that had blocked Orianna's view of the other occupant faded away to reveal the face of the same person she was looking for.

There was an aching lurch in Orianna's heart, as she viewed Jake helping Rose out of the pool. While the gesture was innocent in nature, the undertones spoke volumes. The slight blush on Rose's face, and the way Jake gave that shy smile as he held out his hand to here, it was all too painful. Orianna felt as if the wind was knocked out of her, so much so that she had to steady herself on the glass. Orianna couldn't hear a word they were say, but their facial expressions spoke volumes.

He was laughing, Orianna noticed, laughing at whatever it was that Rose had just said. When the two were around each other, all they ever seemed to do was scowl at one another, now they were actually enjoying each other's company. How quickly things could change in this world, when one can go from being elated, to completely devastated in a matter of seconds. She had thought this only a minor bump in what was to be her and Jake's future, but once again, fate thought it better to slap Orianna in the face.

Current events being what they were, Orianna began to think that maybe she was being irrational and overly emotional. Nothing had even happened; all Jake did was help her out of the pool. But no amount of rational could calm the quite storm brewing in Orianna's mind. Growing up, Akeeda had always taught her that jealousy wasn't very becoming of a lady, and here she was having visions of doing all sorts of terrible things to Rose.

Yes, maybe she was being irrational, that is until Orianna seen what happened next. The conversation must have shifted in the span of one heartbeat and the next. Jake was no longer laughing, and the look in his eyes reflected the severity of their talks. Orianna watched, only dimly aware of what was happening before her, as Rose began to lean in closer toward Jake. Orianna watched with painfully clear details, as their lips brushed softly together.

Her world was in ruins, every hope, every thought she had of her life with Jake was now in shambles. It was like watching a car wreck, no matter how hard she tried, Orianna found it impossible to pull herself from the sight of them kissing. She was stuck within this morbid reality that seemed only to exist to torture her. Her pain was all engulfing, swallowing every ounce of happiness she had in a single instance. Life now seemed bleak, and altogether unbearable. It was if time had slowed to a creeping halt, allowing the fragments of her broken heart to resonate throughout her soul.

As a lone tear made its way down past her quivering lip, Orianna's opened palm gripped into a tight fist against the pane glass window. The raw emotions poured from her, and manifested themselves through her powers. The window began to shatter with spider web thin crack, radiating from her hand.

Orianna wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, or how much longer she would have stayed, had she not noticed Jake quickly pull away. The sound of the glass shattering must have gotten their attention, and both he and Rose looked in her direction. The instantaneous look on Jake's face said it all. There was remorse, guilt and the tiniest bit of anger marring his handsome features. Though she wasn't able to hear his words, Orianna was able to make out him forming the word of his nickname for her, his Dove.

That realization drove her to the breaking point. Her pain and anger mounted, and she did the only thing she could think of, she ran. She knew the moment she turned from the window, that Jake would be right behind her. He would catch up with her soon, and right now, she wasn't in the mood to talk. Giving little care as to who would see her, Orianna consciously summoned for her wings to appear, and with one powerful beat, she was airborne.

When Jake finally made it to the doors leading outside, Orianna was nowhere in sight. His mind was in a haze, as he tried to figure out what he had just done. He kissed Rose, of all people; he kissed his ex-girlfriend. And to make matters worse, his new girlfriend caught him in the act. This day seemed like something out of his worst nightmares. First some guy shows up claim to have known Orianna since they were kids, and practically claims they could have been more. And now he's caught lip locking with another girl.

"SHIT!!!!" Jake yelled. How could things get any worse?

"Jake…" Rose's voice sounded from behind him, Jake didn't dare turn around. He only shut his eyes, praying that this was all some kind of dream, that maybe he had fallen asleep in class and Orianna would wake him up, showering him with one of those beautiful smiles of hers. When Jake didn't answer her, Rose tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jake violently shrugged it off.

"Don't…" he choked out, as he stood there, with his head downcast. His fist were balled up at his side, shacking from the amount of emotions he was feeling.

"Jake, talk to me." Rose pleaded.

"WHY… why did you do it?!" Jake finally exploded. "I was happy, I was moving on, and you just ruined it!" Rose was shocked by his outburst. Yes she was expecting him to be angry, but for him to explode like that.

"You were the one who came looking for me!" She returned his anger in equal intensity.

"But not for you to kiss me!"

They were going back and forth now, him with his accusatory words, and her with her anger. When words began to be pointless, they only stood there, venting their anger through their eyes. Jake realized that he had just made the biggest mistake in his life, and arguing with his 'accomplice' wouldn't fix things. He had to find Orianna; he had to find her and try to explain what just happen, even though he didn't quite know himself.

From his position in the farthest end of the grounds, concealed behind the shrubs and trees stood the instigator in all of this. Adam watched calmly from his view point, surveying everything as it happened. He saw Orianna making her way towards the gym, and he knew full well who was inside. Had he really wanted to, he could have stopped her, spared her all the pain she was feeling right now, but that wouldn't have benefited him.

He needed Orianna to see her own ignorance to the things surrounding her. As he watched the girl he claimed to have strong feelings for heart break, he couldn't help but think he was doing the right thing. He knew it was painful for her to see, for her to whiteness Jake kiss another girl, but it would all work out in the end. When the window she rested upon shattered, he knew things had gone on long enough. That small display of power didn't surprise him, and neither did that fact that Orianna had sprouted wings. All of it was simply part of the girl he had fallen for, and where Jake only knew half of who she was, Adam knew it all.

A/N: Okay a few notes of interest for this chapter. Azul's master is named Lamia, which is a name of Greek myth that means: the name of an evil spirit who abducts and murders children. The name means "vampire" in Latin and "fiend" in Arabic. I wanted to be dark in this chapter, because pretty much everything after this will have a harder edge to it.


	15. Revelations, Trials and Choices pt 2

**American Dragon: African Heart**

**By: Orionstorm04**

Disclaimer: Don't own it, so don't sue

A/N: This is the second chapter for Revelations, Trials and Choices pt. 1, and it's coming when I promised. I'll say this now, its way pass my bedtime, and I'm sleep as all Hell, and there may be some mistakes, but I just had to get this out. This chapter is upwards of 12,000 words, which surprised even me. I hope you guys enjoy. The way things are preceding is great! I've managed to get out two chapters within days of each other; hopefully this is a trend that I can keep. Before you read, I wanna ask, how many of you had a clue as to who Adam was after that last post? Well, for those who haven't figured it out just yet, you learn in this exciting chapter. I hope the reviews continue to pour in; you guys have no idea how much that motivates me to put out that next chapter. Anyway, I'll get to this chapter before I bore you all to death.

**Revelations, Trials and Choices pt. 2**

Over the last forty-five minutes, Jake had tried numerous times to call Orianna. He had to talk to her, to explain to her that what happened was a mistake. He never intended to kiss Rose, hell; he still didn't know why he did. All he remembered was them talking, then all of a sudden; there was this haze that clouded his senses. It was like he was watching everything in slow motion; yet unable to stop himself from doing what he knew was wrong. He would give anything to take back those few seconds.

What hurt the most was the look on Orianna's face when she caught him and Rose kissing. It was like all life had drained from her once aluminous eyes. There was hurt and betrayal etched in every line of her face, and the fact that he was the cause of that pain made Jake want to die a slow and painful death.

"Come on Dove, pick up." Jake begged to his phone. This was the twenty second time he had tried calling her phone, but still his calls went unanswered. For a second, he had considered calling Trixie to see if Orianna was with her, but he soon reconsider, knowing full well what would happen to him if he did. As close as Trixie and Jake was, he wasn't willing to risk bodily harm by telling her that he had cheated on her cousin with Rose. It was no surprise to Jake that Trixie never cared much for Rose, so letting that cat out of the bag would be like starting WWIII.

It was when Jake was in the process of sending Orianna a text that his phone began to ring. Jake's heart swelled with anticipation at the prospect that it was Orianna returning his phone call, until he read the caller id. He recognized the number immediately, it was his grandfather. He should have figured that would have been too easy had it been Orianna. Not feeling in the mode to talk about what was going on in the magical community, Jake quickly hit the ignore button, canceling his grandfather's call.

He knew Lao Shi would be angry with him later, but none of that seemed to matter at the moment. All he wanted, he needed, was to make things right with Orianna. For the first time since he had left the school, Jake looked at his surroundings. Subconsciously, his feet had led him to the home of none other than Orianna. He must have seriously been thinking about her for him to end up with without knowing it.

Looking at the house tugged at Jake's heartstrings. He wished with all his heart that he could be there right now with Orianna, instead of pacing the streets aimlessly, hoping for her to answer his phone calls. Gathering his resolve, Jake walked up the flight of stairs, preparing to bite the bullet and just ring on the doorbell and hope for the best. She would forgive him, right? She had to; once he explained that the kiss between him and Rose meant nothing.

It was when his finger was only inches away from the button, that Jake heard a ringing sound. This ringing however, wasn't coming from the house, but from his phone. The sound of his phone shattered what little courage he had, causing him to clench his fist, and pulling back his finger from the doorbell. He took one last look at the door, before backpedaling down the stairs and down the street from whence he came.

The ear piercing sound of his phone was to annoying Jake to no end with its constant shrieking. He shoved his hands into his back pocket, and violently ripped the phone from it. It was the number to his grandfather's shop, no doubt Fu trying to reach him again. He couldn't avoid answering the Shar Pei forever, and resigned himself to the lecture he really didn't feel quite up to.

"Yeah FU?!"

"Jake…" that wasn't the voice Jake was expecting to hear. "Where are you? I have been trying to reach you all day." Jake's grandfather yelled at him from over the line.

"Sorry Gramps, I've been a little busy." Jake reigned in his anger a bit, showing that he respected his grandfather enough not to yell over the phone.

"Were you so busy that you would neglect your dragon duties?" Lao Shi's tone was disapproving, which was something he tried never to express towards his grandson.

"I wasn't neglecting them; I just had a lot on my mind. I needed some time to think about a few things." Jake reasoned. Ever since he became the American Dragon, Jake had tried to balance both his regular life, and the side of him that was obligated to protecting the magical realm. It was times like this though that he was happy that he had something to distract him.

"I hate to disappoint you grandson, but we have urgent business to attend to." There was a sense of urgency in Lao Shi's words. Jake immediately picked up on his grandfather unspoken words, something must have been up.

"What is it gramps, did something happen?" For the moment, all of Jake's personal issues were pushed aside. This would provide him with just the distraction he needed, until he was able to find Orianna.

"I have spoken with the Dragon Council about those creatures you fought in the park." Lao Shi spoke calmly into the receiving end of the phone, trying his best not to worry Jake too much. "Councilman Andam was able to get in contact with the Magical Council; apparently he and Chairman Dar are close friends."

Jake listened carefully as his grandfather filled him in on what had transpired of the past weeks. According to reports from the Magical Council, those creatures, who were in fact Nargali, had been attacking communities all around the world. To make matters worse, the Nargali weren't just attacking magical communities, but human ones as well. A majority of the attacks had been focused in central Africa, but soon began to spread out to neighboring continents.

"So what does all of that mean Gramps?" Jake asked.

"The Councils were hoping you could tell them. You are the only person to have fought one of these things and survive." Lao Shi didn't bother to hide the fact that he was completely impressed with his grandson for such a feat.

"What do they want me to do?"

"You are to meet with the Magical Council... tonight" Lao Shi answered. "I will contact Andam to act as a Liaison. Jake, you should understand how serious the situation has become. There has not been a sighting of a Nargali in over a thousand years. Their return can't mean anything good."

"What time is the meeting?" No matter what time the meeting was planned for, it would cause even more of a delay for Jake to speak with Orianna. As much as he didn't want to prolong their inevitable conversation, Jake had to put his duties first.

"You should return home first to let your mother know what is happening, I don't want to concern her. Then when you are finish, come to the shop." After Lao Shi directed Jake on what to do, they ended their call.

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Of all the places Orianna could think of to go, there was only one real option. She couldn't go home, not unless she felt like explaining things to Trixie. Even though Orianna was mad as Hell at Jake, she didn't want to make him out to be a bad guy. For a while, she thought about going to Spud, but then she would run the risk of word getting back to Trixie. So that is how she found herself huddled against a tree in the center of Central Park. It was the same clearing that she used to train, but now training was the farthest thing from her mind.

After running away from the sight of Jake and Rose together and having ample time to collect her thoughts, Orianna still couldn't wrap her head around what it was she actually saw. Of course she remembered the kiss, that part would be forever engrained into her memories. What confused her however was why? Why had Jake done such a thing, when not hours before he was telling her he was falling in love with her? None of it made any sense, least of all the timing of it all. It was like Adam's reintroduction into her life was like some catalyst, bringing with it all sorts of confusion.

Had she know her day would have been so rotten; she wouldn't have even bothered getting out of bed. But her day hadn't started this way, in actuality, her day started off picture perfect. Waking up to the thought of seeing Jake again was all she thought about the previous night. What it would feel like when they finally confessed to everyone they were a couple, how they would be able to spend real time together as a couple. It was like a dream coming true, the way her day started.

Now the setting sun symbolized how dark and cold her world had become. Now when she thought of Jake, the only emotion she felt was a blinding rage. Oh there was still that overwhelming sense of love that began to blossom between them, but now it was marred by betrayal.

"Dammit…" Orianna's sobs wracked her whole body. This pain was almost unbearable. She wanted for nothing more but for the pain to just go away.

"I can take it away for you." A voice called from the shadows. Orianna's head shot up in the direction of the voice, her sensors on high alert.

"Who's out there?!" Orianna jumped to her feet, crouching in a defensive stance. At first no one answered, which did nothing but make her feel more unnerved.

"A friend…" stepping from the shadowed tree line was Adam. "Only a friend Orianna."

Orianna only stared with bewildered eyes as Adam came walking closer. How had he managed to find her all the way out here, and in such a concealed location? From her flight from the school, she hadn't touched ground since arriving in this spot.

"How did you find me out here?" she asked him.

"I always know where you are. I know you." Adam smiled softly at her.

"You don't know anything about me; if you did you wouldn't have ruined my life." For the first time, Orianna was letting her anger out. There was so much pent up anger that she felt towards her childhood friend.

"I didn't mean to ruin your life Orianna, I only wanted us to pick back up where we left off."

"And where would that be Adam?! With me pinning over you, and you barley evening knowing I exist?" The floodgates holding back her tears began to fall away with renewed force.

"That was never how I felt…" Adam closed the distance between them, staring Orianna directly in the eyes.

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The meeting with the Andam and the Magical Council was only minutes away, and already Jake was late. After telling his mom and dad where he would be, Jake left the house to head to his grandfather shop. It was while he was en route there that he received a rather loud phone call from Trixie.

"Jakey, have you seen Anna. She hasn't come home yet, and it's getting dark." Trixie knew that Orianna was on her way to see Jake early, and figured he would have been the last person to talk to her.

"What do you mean she isn't home yet?" Jake was sure that Orianna would have went home by now.

"Just what I said, she hasn't come home. You did talk to her earlier right?"

"Uh…" Jake thought of how he should answer that question, before deciding to go with the truth. "No."

"Didn't you to have some kind of a fight?" Trixie waited the few seconds for Jake to answer with a reluctant yes. "Well she said that she was going look for you after school to explain that whole Adam thing."

"We never got around to it." Jake only half lied.

"What the Hell does that mean?!" Trixie asked annoyed. She figured she would let Orianna handle her own business, but since it looked like she wasn't going to, Trixie decided to do it for her. "Look Jake, all I know is that Anna is really sorry. She didn't mean to hide who Adam was; she just didn't know how to tell you. And after you said the L word to her, she really freaked out. But after she got a chance to really think about it, she knew that she didn't want to lie to you."

Jake listened as Trixie told him how much Orianna regretted her decision not to tell him about Adam from the start. Knowing how guilty Orianna felt about the whole thing made him even angrier at himself for kissing Rose.

"Trix, I messed up… I messed up real bad." Jake cut Trixie off in mid-rant.

"Huh, how did you mess up? Jake what did you do, and where is my cousin?" Trixie recognized that voice. Jake only talked that way when he royal effed up.

"I don't have time to explain right now. Can you meet me at the shop in about an hour?" aware of the time, Jake ran the short remaining distance to the shop.

"Yeah, I guess. I'll just tell grams I'm on my way to your house to Anna." The confusion was evident in Trixie's voice, but she trusted Jake enough to know that he would explain everything later.

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"Don't touch me!" Orianna hissed as she pulled away from Adam's touch. The gesture was too familiar to her. It made her think of Jake, and the countless amount of times he had cupped her cheek the exact same way.

"I would never hurt you Orianna, you have to know that." Adam was surprised that she recoiled from him the way she did. "I have always had feeling for you, ever since we were kids. I just never knew how to express them to you."

"Stop it! You can't just say things like that, not now."

"Why not now?" Adam made to move closer towards her, before she threw up a hand to stop him. "Orianna, ever since you left Africa, I have been lost without you. I didn't realize how deeply my feelings for you ran until you were gone." Had this happened some months ago, Orianna would have been the happiest girl in the world. Now though, she only felt more anguish and turmoil about the state of her life.

"Things have changed Adam." She looked away for the briefest of seconds, before looking him in the eye again. "The feelings I had for you, there not the same anymore."

"No, you don't mean that. We could be good together, you and I. All you have to do is give your heart to me, and I promise I can make you happy." Adam voice had risen ever so slightly as he practically pleaded with her. His hand gesture became more prominent as he tried to illustrate to her how deeply he felt.

"I can't give you something that is no longer mine to give." Orianna tried softly. She couldn't offer to give her heart to Adam, when Jake owned it so completely. Even after all of the pain he caused her, Jake still remained solely positioned within her heart.

"Who…." Adam questioned before realization set in. He had seen the attraction between Orianna and the boy she called Jake. He had hoped that Orianna catching Jake in the act of infidelity, she would reconsider her little fling. "You still align yourself with that, that boy?! Even after the things he has done for you?"

"The things he has done to me? He has done nothing to hurt me since I've known him." Orianna lied, not wanting Adam in her personal affairs.

"You call him kissing another girl, when he's supposed to be dating you; nothing?!" Adam realized his mistake the moment the words left him. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be there, and by revealing he had known exposed him to question he wasn't prepared to give.

"How did you know about that?" Orianna questioned suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is his complete disregard for your feelings." Adam tried to dismiss her question.

"I am tired of your cryptic responses, I want answers and I want them now." Anger was what was motivating her now. She was tired of the lies and the pain, and if she had to resort to measure she would not normally use on a friend, then so be it.

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This had been the first Jake had ever stood before any member of the Magical Council, let alone all five. The Magical Council was the highest ranking individuals from each corner of the globe. The continents of Asian, Europe, North and South America, and Africa each appointed their most powerful individual to represent that area. Of course, each had a sub-council to preside over. The five councilmen only meet annual, unless gather for a specific purpose.

As Jake's grandfather had promise, Andam, the head of the Dragon Council, was there acting as a mediator between Jake and the council. Any business concerning a dragon automatically required the Dragon Council to intervene. So when Andam was told that the American Dragon was to address the Magical Council, he left immediately to be by the young boy's side.

Councilman Dar stood before his brethren, draped in his fine purple robes. The years had begun to show even further, as his once salt and pepper beard was now completely gray. The signs of age were more prominent then they were years ago, and there was a weight on him that came with his position, but he remain ever poised.

"Andam, my old friend, it has been far too long." Dar gripped Andam's hand in a firm handshake.

"That it has, but I'm sure you didn't summon us all here for pleasantries." There was a bite in Andam's voice as he greeted Councilman Dar. The two had once been close friends years back, but time brings change to everyone. During the Fall of Zirenthea, Andam rallied as many dragons and magical creatures from Africa as he could to help aid Queen Aannanie. He had know her since she was a small child, and on the deathbed of her father, Andam had promised to do everything in his power to keep her safe.

When word had reached that hordes of monster were attacking the ancient city, Andam had all but leapt into full battle mode. He had his troops, and was in transit to what was sometimes referred to as the Heart of Africa, when orders came from Dar himself, that he was to stand down. To say he was angry was putting it mildly. He could not understand why someone who knew of Zirenthea's importance to all of Africa would choose not to go to their defense. Since that day, Andam and Dar had rarely spoken to one another. The only times they shared words, was when the Magical Council meet with the councils of every branch of the magical world.

"You're still angry with me I see." Dar said with complete understanding.

"That too is not the reason you called us here." Andam avoided answering his question. Dar knew now, just as he knew then, that he was fighting a losing war, and chose to drop the subject.

"You're right. The council has come here to speak with the American Dragon."

All eyes turned to Jake. Up until that point, he was able to blend in with the background, but at the mention of his name, there was no avoiding the piercing gaze of everyone in the room. Even his grandpa and Fu were staring a Jake in a new light. It wasn't everyday that someone fought a Nargali and live to tell about it.

"And what is it that the Magical Council wishes to speak with my grandson about? My report to the Dragon Council was thorough enough to relay what has happened. Unless there is more that we were not aware of." Lao Shi's wise voice cut the tension of the atmosphere.

"There is indeed more here than you were aware of Lao Shi." The Asian Council Representative addressed Lao Shi. Unlike Dar, this rep wore lighter robs, in a variety of colors. "But what is of real interest is what the young American Dragon claims he saw."

"Just what I told my grandpa. I fought those things in Central Park, when they were attacking the gnome village. By the time I got there, almost everyone was dead." Jake could feel butterflies in his stomach when Chairman Dar looked at him.

"In your testimony, you said that you fought a member of the Nargali that seemed more independent than the others, is that right?" The European Rep questioned. In keeping with the theme that all the other representatives, this female rep also wore flowing robes, albeit in emerald greens and mahogany brown.

"Yeah, at first I thought she was working with them, but a few weeks later, I ran into the same one. She didn't seem like a threat, or at least she said she wasn't."

"It spoke?!" the South American rep asked with mild surprise. The colors of his robes reflected the rich heritage on the Mayans, with deep reds and bright gold.

"Yeah, are they not supposed to do that?" questions were being fired at Jake from all points, making it harder for him to focus. All the while, Dar never took his eyes off of Jake.

"The Nargali are not what you would call the sociable type." It was the North American rep who spoke. Unlike the rest of the rep, he didn't wear any robes; rather he wore a crisp dark business suit. "Maybe you were mistaken."

"I know what I saw." Jake corrected the man. Where did this guy get off telling him he was wrong, when they were here trying to get his help.

"He is telling the truth, I saw it as clear as day through his mind's eye." Dar spoke for the first time since his greeting to Andam.

"You read the boys thoughts?" Andam looked to Dar with distaste. "You entered his mind, without his permission? How low has the council sunk to delve within the recesses of a child's mind, without his consent or the consent of his guardian?" Andam was livid.

"I need not ask permission from anyone when the whole of reality could be in jeopardy. There may be more at stake here than any of us realized." Dar barked his response, before turning back to Jake. "What I am about to ask you, I need you to be completely honest. I will not pry into your personal thought to get the answer I need, but think wisely before you speak, because your answer can forever change the course of history as we know it."

It was as if the color had drained from Dar's face. His eyes had hardened, and the lines on his face became more pronounced. Whatever it was that he was about to ask Jake, must be really important, considering his demeanor.

"The girl that I saw in your mind…" Dar paused for a second, shutting his eyes and breathing in heavily. "…the one with the white hair, what is her name?"

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Orianna used every ounce of her will to penetrate the veil of Adam's mind. She knew that she wouldn't get the truth simply by asking him, so she chose to take another route. To read the thoughts of others was to deprive them of their own personal liberties. Their thoughts and emotions were private, and should only be known by the person experiencing them. On any other occasion, Orianna would have honored that right, but she was so tired of believing the best in people, when all they did was prove her wrong in the end.

She had only begun to scratch the surface of Adam's mind, when she felt a forceful push hit her. It was as if a massive wave smashed against her senses, causing her to lose the slight connection she had. Surprised, she looked to Adam, trying to decipher if her knew what it was that she was attempting. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the faintest glimmer of power flicker behind them.

"It's not very polite to enter someone's mind without permission." Adam tsked.

"How did you manage to block me, or even know what it was I even trying?"

"You're not the only one with secrets." Adam smiled at her. "I told you Orianna, I know you. I know about your powers, I know about Akeeda training you."

Hearing him mention Akeeda and their training, Orianna gasped. They were always so careful, there was no way he could have come across them. Even if he did, Akeeda had placed wards around their training area that would wipe the memory of anyone who crossed them.

"How could you know any of that?" Orianna whispered.

"Like I said, you're not the only one with secrets. Like you, I've been blessed with abilities that set me apart from humans. I know things without ever having heard about them, I can do things that most people only dream of." With that, Adam disappeared within his own shadow, only to reappear right behind Orianna. "With but a thought, I could make you a queen." He whispered in Orianna's ear.

When he disappeared before her, Orianna went on high alert. She had never seen that form of magic before, and it was unsettling witnessing Adam perform it. At the feel of his presence behind her, Orianna jumped forward to put some distance between them. She stared him down, not fully understand how it was that he was capable of doing these things. He was Adam, the boy she had crushed on from most of her adolescence. He wasn't some powerful magician capable of using advanced spell work.

"This isn't possible. You can't do these things." Orianna tried to rationalize things.

"The same argument could be made against you. How can two seemingly ordinary teenagers do such extraordinary things?" Adam spoke as if he was giving a lecture to a class of inquiring minds. "In all actuality, there is no definite answer. We are unique, better than the rest of humanity as a whole. They are weak, yet we are strong."

"We're not better." Orianna rebuked. "We are still human, which mean that we are just as weak as they are, if not more so. It is through our arrogance, that we believe ourselves better, and that is what makes us weak."

"And what makes you think that?"

"I know, because I had a teacher who was wise enough to instill that in me. I'm not sure how you came about your powers, or how you were able to conceal them from me, but they don't make you any better than anyone else."

"Now that's where you're wrong, so very wrong." the menacing sound of Adam's voice echoed in to the night as he advanced towards her.

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"Why do you want to know?" when Dar asked who Orianna was, Jake's blood ran cold.

"The reasons don't concern you, just answer the question" Dar pressed upon Jake.

"When some dude asks me about my girlfriend, I think it does concern me." Jake retorted.

"From what I gathered from your mind, the relationship may not last pass this night, now answer my question!" Dar allowed the briefest of slips when his anxiety got the better of him. Taking a moment to compose himself, Dar asked Jake one final time who the girl was.

"Her name is Orianna." Jake reluctantly answered.

"My God…" the breathless comment didn't come from Dar, but from across the room from Andam. "You mean to tell me she is-"

"Then it's true…" Dar spoke with a heavy heart. "The child of Aannanie survived." There was always a lingering doubt in the minds of those who were aware of the travesty that had befallen Zirenthea, that the heir to the throne had indeed escaped the onslaught.

"Had you allowed us to go to Aannanie's side, we might have been able to protect the child ourselves." Andam approached Dar angrily. All those years lost that he could have spent training and protecting Orianna.

"We had no idea that anyone was left alive. Do you think for a moment, that I would have allowed the heir to one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world; to die like some animal?!" It was the first time that Dar had raised his voice. The culminating events had started to wear on him, causing him to lose his grip on his composure.

Jake only watched from the sidelines, as everyone who had gathered began speaking at once. He was only able to gather bits and piece, but what he heard, he couldn't believe. Orianna was royalty? Not only that, but she was the heir to some high and mighty power that even the Magical Council respected with such awe. Why had she never mentioned any of it before, especially to him? It seemed as though there was a lot of things she didn't tell him.

"Gramps, Fu, what are they talking about? Orianna isn't a princess." Jake's voice was almost swallowed by the sound of shouting.

"I have no clue grandson." Loa Shi answered honestly. "I have never heard of this city, or its royal family."

"I have." Fu said as he walked to stand between Jake and Loa Shi. "Not too many people were ever told about the forbidden city of Zirenthea. Those who know were bound to secrecy to never reveal its existence." Fu watched as the members of the Council and Andam continued the argument about events that had happened years ago. "Almost seventeen years ago, the city was attacked. No one knows who lead the attack, or why, but rumor has it that no one survived."

"The circumstance to that night had been a closely guarded secret for nearly seventeen years. It has always pained me that I wasn't able to help those close to me, but it was a burden that I had to bear." Dar turned to the trio, drawing curious gazes from the other members of the council, even Andam.

"Dar, you do not have the authority to divulge such sensitive information. We have to all agree!" The North American rep spoke.

"We have been silent on the issue for far too long Daniel. It's time now that the truth was revealed." Dar spoke softly. "The night Zirenthea was attack; we five were in the process of gathering resource to help. It was in our final hour that we received a message from Queen Aannanie, to halt any plans we had."

"Why would she request such a thing, it makes no sense." Andam couldn't understand why Aannanie would not want help, unless…

"She knew that there was nothing we could do." Dar confirmed Andam's fears; without even hearing them. "The one who lead the attack couldn't be stopped by any ordinary means. His power far outreached anything that we could use against him. Aannanie was the only one capable of defeating him, and she paid ultimate price."

"What type of being could be that strong, as to overpower the council?" Loa Shi wanted to know.

"There are those with powers, and duties that exceed that of the council." The European rep stepped forward.

"Elizabeth, have you lost your mind?! It's bad enough Dar has breached protocol, are you willing to do the same." Daniel, the North American rep scolded.

"To Hell with the protocol; Daniel! Andam, and most of all, this boy; deserves to know the truth of what happen to that girl's people." Elizabeth was speaking of Orianna. "Countless millennia ago, the gods of earth were in a constant struggle between themselves, over whether or not the different pantheons should dabble in human affairs. I'm sure you all are aware of the different mythos of the world. There were those who thought that interfering with the lives of mortals was unjust, and that by doing so, they were doing more harm to those they claimed to protect."

"So a suggestion was made, that the gods would remove themselves entirely from the mortal realm." The Asian rep continued the story, as if she had started it. "But that would have been too cruel a fate, to tempt mortals with the thought of celestial protection, and then so savagely snatch it away."

"So a compromise was made." The rep in the red and gold robes spoke next. "They would each leave behind a fragment of their very essence, to act as an avatar. This Soul Piece would reincarnate within a new person, at the death of its predecessor, thus continuing the cycle. It would not however; be bound to a blood line, so as not to create a dynasty ruled by one group."

"So Nong-Su, you and Apul agree with the others?" Daniel gave a stern look. "It's seems as though only the United States gives a damn about what type of information is released to any Tom, Dick or Harry."

"With everything that is happening Daniel, do you honestly think we can hide it for much longer?" Dar asked. They had been trying desperately for some hears now; to contain any information about what has been happening around the globe from reaching the outside world. It was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose.

"Not all the gods however, upheld their ends of the bargain." Daniel reluctantly continued the story to Jake and the others. "One in particular was called Dunéthir, god of death and destruction."

"Seventeen years ago, he managed to cross the boundary of their world and ours, by using his avatar as a vessel. An avatar only has a fraction of their god's power, and when Dunéthir merged with his avatar; his power was nearly ten times that of any other avatar. Aannanie, though a skilled avatar herself, was overwhelmed. It was only during her last breath, that she found the strength of will to defeat the mad god." Dar ended the tale with a solemn voice.

"What happened to the city after the queen won?" This was the most insight Jake had ever gotten into Orianna's past.

"By the time anyone was able to make it to the site, the city was gone." Nong-Su lamented.

"Does Orianna know any of this…" Jake questioned softly. He couldn't imagine her handling this information well if she hadn't been told already.

"I would like to think that maybe she does, but with no living person from Zirenthea left, I highly doubt it." Dar said.

"What about her stepmom, Akeeda? O' said she's known her since she was a baby." Jake was trying to think of anyway Orianna could have known.

"Akeeda is alive as well?!" Dar looked to Jake.

"Not anymore. She died right before O' moved here." Jake's answer was deflated.

"Then she may not know. From what I've seen within your mind, Orianna is far too inexperienced to know about her lineage."

"Dar'mus…" Nong-Su came behind Dar. It was rare that anyone used his full name when they addressed him, and Dar knew whatever it was that crossed her mind, must have been serious. "Things are beginning to make sense now. The Nargali have only ever answered to one master, and that is Dunéthir. What if he has resurrected them somehow, and is using them to exact his revenge against the child of the person who defeated him?"

"I thought you said that O's mom killed this Dune guy?!" Jake asked shocked.

"A god can't be killed, especially by an avatar." Daniel commented.

Jake's mind was spinning now. If what they were saying was true, then Orianna was in danger. As far as he could tell, she didn't have the means to protect herself, and with those Nargali after her, she could need him.

"Dragon UP!!!" Jake let loose his battle cry and was engulfed in flames. When the flames subside, all that was left was Jake in his dragon form.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dar asked Jake.

"What does it look like? I'm going out there and find my girlfriend." Jake answered as if that was obvious. There was no way that he was going to let Orianna out of his sights for a second.

"The creatures you are up against are like nothing you have faced before. If Dunéthir has returned, then he will throw a lot more at you than foul creatures from the abyss." Dar said, knowing full well that the boy had made up his mind. While sifting through Jake's memories, he was able to pick up on the strong feelings the American dragon had for Orianna.

"I don't give a damn." Jake growled as he crawled through the window leading outside.

Dar only watched him go, not attempting to stop him in the least. At that moment, a thought crossed his mind, bringing with it a small smile. He remembered on the day of Orianna's birth, have a conversation with her mother. He had told Aannanie that a new American Dragon had been born, and how he hoped that the two would one day meet. Little did he know that they would indeed come to meet in the most unconventional way.

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"Elanis Nithmohoré!"

A blinding flash of light extended from Orianna's right palm, and slammed into the ground separating her and Adam. The ground began to shake, and from the crater that was created by Orianna's attack came whip like vines. The tentacles vines shot out and bound Adam's arms and legs, hoisting him into the air.

"I see you've been practicing." Adam said. "You're not as much as a novice as you were under Akeeda's tutelage."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of." Orianna snarled at the condescending way he spoke of her former teacher.

"Perhaps not, but you'll need to do better if you want to contain someone like me." Adam's eyes flashed the color of fire, before the vines that once held him burned away. He landed with the grace of a cat, before dusting the imaginary dirt from his shoulder. "Not a bad try though."

"It was not the only arsenal at my disposal, and far from the most powerful. Should you wish to see how dangerous I can be, continue to approach me." There was nothing but hostility aimed at Adam. There was never a time that Orianna could remember ever being this angry before, and seeing Adam with all of his smugness, she welcomed that anger.

"I don't want to fight you Orianna." Adam stopped his advances, before putting his hands up to show her he meant no harm. "I only want to talk."

"About what?" Orianna eyed him suspiciously.

"About us, I want you to come home with me."

"This is my home. I have a family here who cares about me. I have friends, and obligations, I can't just walk away from all of that."

"I can be your family." In a flash, Adam was standing before her. He caught her wrist before she could gesture another spell, and pinned her to the nearby tree. "Our obligation could be only to each other, our duty to protect and love each other… always." His eyes pleaded with hers to accept his offer.

Orianna almost pitied him. She never thought of it before, but it must have been lonely for Adam growing up. While she may have lost her parents when she was too young to remember, she always had Akeeda. Adam was an orphan of the village, being raised by all, yet truly loved by none. He didn't have any family of his own, no one to lay his burdens upon. He had lost his mother in birth, and his father was unknown.

"The things you speak of are nothing more than a dream." Orianna allowed a tear to slip from her eyes. "You and I, we are just too different."

"Different…" Adam's face hardened at her words. "Different you say? What about Jake, aren't he and you different?!" his grip on Orianna had tightened as he stared her down. "You would be so willing to allow him to touch you, to hold you. Yet you recoil from me as if I am some kind of monster!" he yelled.

"I don't think of you as some monster Adam!" Orianna greeted her teeth, as she felt his nails dig in her skin.

"Really, then why won't you come with me?" he asked.

"Because if I were to do so, it wouldn't be fair to either of us, I don't belong there Adam. Can't you see that?"

"You belong with me!" Adam screamed.

He used his weight to press her more firmly to the tree. By looking at him, you wouldn't be able to tell he had so much strength. When Orianna struggled against him, it only did more to fuel his anger. He grabbed her by the shoulder, and shook her, causing her head to slam painfully against the tree trunk. For a moment, all Orianna say was the white sting of pain, followed by a dull throb in her head.

It was during that crucial moment that Jake had been flying over the city of New York, searching for Orianna. He didn't know quite why, but something told him to pass over Central Park. Orianna had said during their many 'getting to know you moments' that Central Park was perhaps her most favorite place in the city. It was the only spot left that still had natural life, someplace for her to connect with. He was making one last pass over the park when Jake sensitive dragon hearing picked up the sound of a voice he would know from anywhere.

"Dove…" Jake's heat pounded. Her voice sounded muffled, and slightly slurred. And if he wasn't mistaken, she was talking to someone else.

"I don't belong to you Adam." Orianna shook off the dizzying she was having, and focused her eyes on the teen in front of her. He had changed so much in recent months. The Adam she knew would never be so cruel, or so angry, as to put his hands on any woman.

"You do now…" Adam leaned his face dangerously close to Orianna's. Had she not been so disoriented, she would have been able to fight back. But all she could do at the moment was stare blankly into his eyes while he pressed his lips to hers.

The only thought that ran through Orianna's mind was Jake. How she had gotten so angry with him, without giving him a chance to explain himself. Now, she was just as guilty as he was, even if she didn't concede to the kiss. When she felt Adam's tongue try to push against the wall of her lip, she heard the most feral roar. Adam quickly pulled away, but not fast enough to avoid the powerful swipe of a dragon's claw. Adam was tossed aside like a ragged doll, being violently slammed through a tree. He didn't stay down for long however, as he easily pushed the large tree off of him with relative ease.

"If you ever put your hands on her, I'll rip your throat out." Jake was barely able to contain his rage; as his eyes seared into Adam. He had never liked the boy from the start, and now to catching him practically dry humping his girls against a tree?!

"I wasn't aware there were dragons in America." Adam said as he whipped the blood from his chin. "Now; I guess, they'll be one less…"

"Dragon, this isn't your fight. You don't have to protect me, I can handle this myself." Orianna had finally regained some sense of self when Adam was knocked away from her. Whatever spells he was using, they were indeed powerful. She would have to remember that in the near future, but first she had to get rid of their new arrival.

"I'm not going to leave you out here with this pervert." Jake's voice came out more like a beastly growl, then what his normal baritone was.

Orianna paused only for a second to look at the dragon beside her. That was a bizarre choice of words for such a creature to say, though in this day in age, it was a wonder he hadn't said worse. Never the less, she had to convince him to leave, before things got worse.

"You can't stay here-"before the words could finish leaving her mouth, Adam lunged towards the dragon, sending them both backwards.

The speed at which Adam moved was amazing, for lack of a better words. When the dragon swiped his claws in an attempt to draw blood, all he managed to hit was air. Adam on the other hand landed almost all of his hits. It wasn't long before the dragon was on the defensive, and barely holding back the attacks.

"Enough!" Orianna's voice reverberated throughout the small wooded area. At her boisterous command, both combatants halted in their attacks, but only for a second. Adam wasn't fooled by the creature's present form. He knew full well who this 'American Dragon' was.

"You think you can take her away from me dragon?" Adam taunted as he hit Jake with another powerful blow to his midsection. "Do you think that after what she seen you do with that girl, that Orianna will ever take you back."

"SHUT UP!" Adam's words stuck a cord then. Jake didn't care one way of the other how it was that Adam was able to do half the things he was, or that he knew his secret. All he wanted right now was to shut him up.

"This is why it was so easy for me to manipulate you before Jake. You allow your emotions to control you." Adam gloated.

"Jake…?" Orianna looked to the dragon confused. Adam just called him Jake, but how? In that instance, she realized how little she actually knew about Jake, and how much they kept from one another. As she considered that for a moment, a thought struck her. 'Manipulate… was that how he knew what Jake had done?' Orianna thought.

How had he managed to manipulate Jake, when, and for what reason? That's when it hit her. It was right there in her face the whole time, yet she managed to not see it for what it was. Jake's sudden change of attitude during the school, his not wanting to be around her after classes, and last; but certainly not less, the kiss. It was all staged by Adam, and his reasoning was even clearer than the actions. He had said it himself, he wanted Orianna to return with him, and away from Jake. And what better way to do that than by convincing her that he had cheated on her with Rose.

"Adam!" that one call held so much force; it caused the trees to sway in its power. Orianna was tired with words, and she was tired with trying to explain anything to anyone. Almost on instinct, he hand outstretched, calling into existence; her staff. A wind rippled across the ground, colliding with Orianna. As before, he clothes began to melt away in a midnight colored smoke, and when the smoke settled, all that remained was the costume Orianna had claimed as her own.

When Jake heard Orianna call out Adam's name, he immediately turned towards her. He saw something he thought he would never see in his life, a pissed off Orianna. For as long as he had know her, Jake had never seen Orianna lose her temper, not once. Not even when those girls savagely ripped off her head scarf. But now, as she stood before him enraged, Jake had never been so scared, or turned on, by Orianna as he was right at this moment.

Even knowing that it wasn't the best times to notice how attracted he was to her, Jake couldn't help himself. And when her clothing began to melt away, and was replaced by the tight corset and knee high boots, he felt all the blood in his body rush south. He would have thought that he would have been surprise, or shocked even, that she transformed right in front of him, but the only thing he felt was arousal.

"You lied to me, tried to trick me." Orianna grabbed her staff from midair, and began to advance on Adam. "You used your powers to manipulate Jake like a puppet. You used him and Rose, in some sick attempt to gain my affections."

Jake watched with confused eyes as Adam's face showed the slightest bit of fear. What did she mean by used him, he didn't recall ever meeting Adam after their initial conversation. Then he remembered what Adam had said before, about using Jake's anger and emotions against him. There was a part of the day when he felt himself drifting off, when his anger at Orianna for not telling him about Adam reached its peak. He was so angry at her, he simply couldn't think straight.

Then a thought came to him. He needed something to release the anger he felt, someone who would know what he was feeling. Somehow his mind automatically went to Rose, then after that everything was a haze. He remembered going look for her; he even remembered when he found her. But what he couldn't remember is what drove him to allow the kiss to linger on for as long as it did. Now he did.

"It was you! You made me kiss Rose." The fire that burned behind Jake's eyes nearly swallowed all of its color.

"You give me too much credit." Adam's breathing had become labored; the strain of sparing with Jake was beginning to show. "What Orianna didn't mention is that I can't create feelings out of nothing. Love, and even its most rudimentary form, lust; can't be created from nothing. The things you did, and the impulses that drove you to do them, were completely of your own design."

Orianna's hatred for Adam only grew. He was right of course, the things Jake did wasn't only because of the spell. That knowledge alone was heart wrenching, and Orianna wanted nothing more but to hide from that truth. But there was to be no more hiding, no more running away, and no more Adam.

"You've played your games Adam, and now it's time to end them. I've had enough of all of this." That violent streak of power had finally shown within the depths of Orianna's eyes. "And I can promise you, before this night ends, you will know the true meaning of pain." That remark was to be Orianna's end song.

She leapt from her position of nearly twenty feet, and swung her staff at Adam's head. He managed to dodge the attack at the last second. The concussive wave from her staff managed to sever a row of trees at their base, before dying down. Orianna's attacks were fueled by pure anger now, which allowed her a power she had never felt before. Every sense, every spell was amplified, bringing her closer to the edge of complete sensory emergence.

Jake only watched as Orianna unleashed a barrage of attacks upon Adam. He had never seen someone move so fast, and elegant in his entire life. Her movements were fluid, and carried with them a deadly procession that could end one's life in a heartbeat. Where before Adam had all the advantage in the world, he now had none, it was only a matter of time before Orianna had him on the ropes.

He was falling behind, Adam could feel it. He had never seen such power emit from Orianna before. It was like she was purely instinctual, able to perceive his every move, one step before he actually made them. At this rate, she would crush him in a matter of seconds. He needed at diverging, something to draw her attention away from him. Then he spotted his opportunity.

"Elerich nin pocusin. Iste nela altiric son!" at the incantation, a black flame encircle Adam. Using his hands as a painter uses a brush, Adam etched within the air the ancient runes he need to execute his spell.

Orianna had only heard that incantation once, uttered by Akeeda during their dark arts training. Akeeda said that it should never be used, for a piece of the caster's soul would have to put into the spell, and if used to much, the person could lose their soul entirely. In Adam's desperation, he had summoned one of the darkest vows he could think of, and he planned to use it against her. One of the benefits, if there truly was one, was that Akeeda showed her how to withstand the attack.

She would have to erect a shield, but to do so; she would have to empty herself of all emotions. She had to allow her powers to wash over her, to guide her, and most of all to protect her. Within seconds Orianna was covered in a soft white light emitting from her center. All color had drained from her eyes, and white power swirled within them. Her pure white wings sprouted from her back, and expanded to their full length. Orianna stood her ground as Adam finished his spell, and aimed towards him.

She watched as the shadows around him began to grow, until it seemed that darkness had completely covered the small clearing. The black flame that circled him rose into an inferno, before joining to form a rode of pure blackness. When Adam hurled the spear of shadows, it was like an end to life. She had lost all hope of ever reaching Adam again, and if this was the person he was, she was glad she never really knew him.

The staff traveled the short distance separating both her and Adam within the span of a heartbeat. Orianna had fully prepared herself to defend against the attack, but it never came. At the last possible second, the shaft of dark energy changed its trajectory, and aimed itself straight for Jake. Orianna had prepared for all the things that could happen if her shield would not be able to hold. She had prepared to die if it had come to it. Now, as she watched it head to the unprotected Jake, her mind went blank.

Jake never had a chance to dodge, the weapon. He only watched as it came huddling towards him, unable to think of any maneuvers to protect himself. Later he would marvel at the fact that what people said was right. You did see your life flash before your eye; before the end. He was able to see with clarity, the first day he meet Trixie and Spud all those years ago. He remembered his mom and dad telling him he would be a big brother, and he remembered him telling them he didn't want a little sister. It was funny now to think of how much he would miss Haley bothering him.

After all of that, memories of Orianna fluttered before him. Things that had happened, things he wished had gone differently, and things he had hopes would come. He knew now without any doubt that he was in love with her, and he would give anything in this world for just that chance to tell her. It was with a sickening sound that the spear plunged itself within Jake's chest. When he felt the tip of it touch just outside of where his heart was, a searing pain overtook him.

Orianna watched with horrified eyes as the spear began to waft away like shadows in the sun. One minute it was there, and the next it was gone. Without hesitation, she rushed to Jake's side, and cradled his head in her lap. Blood began to pour from the now opened wound, and Jake's face was a mask of pain. He tried to speak, but his words failed him, while he choked on his own blood. The curse was already taking hold, as it drew out his life force, slowly driving him towards Death's door.

Orianna's mind was in a panicked as she watched him struggle to breath, and with every second; she could see the light leave his eyes. She felt sick as she watched the boy she loved die in her arms. It was the first time she admitted it, and only with the privacy of her own mind, but she did love him. She loved his with an intensity only matched by her rage towards the one that hurt him.

"MURDERER!" With that tear filled scream, Orianna outstretched her hand and sent a massive blast of energy at Adam. She had never felt so much power in her, but the toll was taxing. The power of her attack carved and scar so deep within the earth, that you could see bedrock underneath Trees had been splintered, and stones pulverized. Nothing remained in the path it left, not even the remains of the person who triggered that response.

"Jake…" Orianna tearfully called out to him. "Jake, open your eyes." She begged him. It was a struggle for him just to open them, but he managed. A trail of blood ran from his mouth to his chin. The whites of his eyes had disappeared behind a wall of blood, and the once deep brown of his irises were now ashen.

"You can't die, not here, not now!" Orianna almost demanded him. Things between them couldn't end like this. She never got a chance to tell him how upset and hurt she was, even though things weren't all his fault.

She watched as Jake tried to utter something, before pain once again claimed him. His eyes grew heavy for a second, then closed. Fear gripped Orianna, as she racked her brain for some way to help him. With the knowledge of Jake being half dragon, Orianna wasn't sure how her magic would interact with him. she needed someone who knew dragons, with an in-depth insight of how to cure them from a life threatening wound.

His family. Someone in his family had to know that Jake was a dragon, and if so, they would be able to help. But by the time she got Jake there, it could already be to late. Orianna soul cried out for someone to help her, and what answered was nothing more than a godsend. Pegasus, her faithful companion and protected walked into the decimated clearing. Ever graceful and regal, he slowly approached her.

"Help me…" she whispered to the unicorn. Though he didn't answer her, his eyes glistened with compassionate understanding. Pegasus placed his muzzle onto Jake's forehead, and in a blinding flash, both he and Orianna was gone.

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Trixie cursed as she looked at her watch for what must have been the fifth time. She had told Jake she would meet him to his grandfather's shop over an hour ago. It was hard for her to slip out of the house without answering a million questions from her grandmother. Anita only agreed to let her leave if Spud escorted her, and it took him at least a half an hour to get there. When the two finally left the house, Spud asked her why they had to go to Jake's grandfather's shop.

"He told me to meet him there. I don't know what's going on." Was all she answered with. It wasn't a complete lie; she really didn't know what Jake had done. It didn't take them long to reach the old antique shop, and when they finally knocked on the door, they were greeted by a rather perturbed Fu.

"Uh, Jake's not here right now. You mind coming back later?" Spud asked slightly distracted.

"We know he isn't here. He wanted me to meet him here to talk." Trixie snapped. She could hear people talking in the distance, but didn't focus on it.

"Now's not really a good time." Fu looked over his shoulder, towards the sounds of the voices.

"I really don't care if it's a good time or not. My cousin hasn't come home yet, and I'm starting to worry. Jake said he had something to tell me, and I'm not leaving here until I talk to him. Spud didn't say a word, he only let Trixie do the talking.

Fu looked at Trixie inquiringly. Maybe Jake had filled them in on what was going on. Either way, he wasn't going to get rid of them one way or the other.

"Fine, come in; but don't say anything. You only listen, got it?"

Trixie didn't bother to answer before walking the rest of the way into the shop. She walked the flight of step leading to the basement, and paused halfway down. A large group of men and women dressed in colorful flowing robes littered the room. Jake's grandfather stood next to the man Trixie recognized as the head of the Dragon Council. The others however were a mystery.

"Who are these children?" Dar asked Fu.

"These are friends of Jake." He answered nervously.

"They shouldn't be down here. Mortals should not even know we exist." Daniel said.

"Know what, that Jake is actually a dragon?" Spud said in his usual clueless way.

"You're a few years short on that one." Trixie let the man know.

"Regardless if they know his secret or not, this meeting should remain closed." Daniel commanded. It was bad enough that so many people was brought into this, they didn't need to add any more.

For the first time, Daniel and Dar were in agreement. These humans had bearing on the matters at hand, and didn't need to be there. He was about to say as much, when the room erupted in white light. Every member capable of magic, immediate prepared themselves for an attack. When the blinding light faded, two new people had arrived. All eyes fell on Orianna as she clung desperately to a bleeding Jake.

No one could move, from the power of the sight. Jake's body was bruised and bloody, while Orianna magnificent wings flexed to their maximum. The Magical Council, Andam, Fu and Lao Shi watched in awe at the sight of Orianna in all her glory. Trixie and Spud stood stunned for only a second, taking in Orianna, until the registered the state Jake was in. without a second thought, they rushed to their friends side.

"What happened?" Spud asked.

"I-I don't know. I was in the park, and then Adam came. There was all this fighting…" Orianna rambled as she finally let go of her hold on Jake. "Trixie, his bleeding… I don't know what to do!"

Trixie looked at Orianna as if she didn't recognize her. Was this truly her cousin, and if so, was this how she always was? The wings, the milky eyes… they all unnerved her. Fortunately, Trixie never had to comment. Lao Shi and the rest of the elder rushed the teenagers, taking Jake from Orianna's arms. She watched as they laid him on a table that sat in the middle of the room. A woman dressed in green robes tore Jake's shirt from his chest, revealing cuts and bruises, and a large hole where his heart was.

"Who did you say did you say did this?" Elizabeth asked shocked.

"Adam… he grew up with me in the village in Africa."

"I have never seen a child perform this curse before. Only extremely powerful mystics of the dark arts can perform such powerful spells. I don't a child could survive it." Elizabeth informed the others. She placed her hand over the wound, Elizabeth utter something under her breath, causing a green light to form under her palm. "This is beyond my power to heal Dar'Mus. If we do not stop the curse soon, it will claim his life."

Orianna could hear no words beyond that. This was her fault, Jake would die because of her, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"No…" Orianna sobbed. She could feel her heart pulling her closer to Jake's body on the table. There had to be something she could do to save his life. Then an idea struck, there was something she could do. Pushing her way to the table, Orianna began to lift Jake off of the table.

"What are you doing?!" Lao Shi asked with slight anger.

"Spud, help me take off his clothes…" Orianna called to Spud. When he didn't make a move to help her, Orianna called his name again. "Arthur… I need you to help me to take off his clothes." He only hesitated for a minute before moving to help her.

"Why are we doing this?" he asked her.

"Just trust me." Orianna used all her strength left told Jake up. "His underwear to." She instructed. Spud looked at her awkwardly, before removing Jake's boxers as well. When he was stripped completely naked, Orianna concentrated on her own clothing. Like it had done on countless occasions, Orianna's clothing meted, but this time instead of taking the shape of the clothes she had on, the material simply vanished.

Both Orianna and Jake stood before the crowd of people, naked as the day they were born. Orianna used her wings to shield them, blocking their exposed bodies from the room. She closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms tightly around Jake. Tucking her head under his chin, she prayed to whatever deity, that this would work. She had never attempted the binding spell before, and Akeeda always warned her of how dangerous it was to attempt.

There had only been a few who had attempted the spell and lived to tell about it. Most, who tried, died, along with the person they were trying to heal. Whatever the cost to her, she would not let Jake die like this, even if it cost her life.

As all who gathered watched, Orianna and Jake began to glow an eerie white before rising a few inches off the ground. The lights within the room began to flicker, before blowing out completely, plunging the room into darkness. The only light now came, from the two prone bodies hovering in midair. A deep chill entered the room, and ice began to coat the floor beneath Jake and Orianna. The ice continued its creeping flow, until it took hold of their feet, then the legs, and so on until it reached the ceiling above. What remained were the two of them incased in a glowing pillar of ice.

"What happened to them?" Trixie walked towards the ice pillar mesmerized. As she reached her hand out to touch the slick surface, it was snatched away by Dar.

"DO NOT TOUCH IT!" he yelled. "While they are sealed within that pillar, anything that tries to reach them with will be destroyed. In all my years, I have never in my life witnessed this spell."

"A spell?" she asked dumbfounded.

"This is a Religare spell. It's used to bind the souls of two individuals, helping one to heal the other, though I've never seen anyone accomplish it and survive."

"So what she did will kill them?!" Trixie looked to the older man in shock.

"I doubt it. For her to have maintained the spell to this point, is a wonder, but I think she may have pulled it off. Only time will tell.

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In a steaming crater, left as a product of Orianna's rage, Adam slowly, painful crawls out. Bones were broke, skin was scorched, but none of that hurt more than the pain he felt in his heart. She had attacked him, she had tried to kill him. All to defend a boy she barely knew. Adam had offered her the world, yet she turned away from him and his love. He had no reason to go on, no reason to return to Africa, without her.

"You have much to live for my boy." The sound of a man's voice reached Adam's ears.

"Lord Lamia… how did you know to find me here?" Adam asked.

"I was watching your exchange with the girl." he stated.

"How much of it did you see?" Adam asked, already knowing he had most likely seen a good deal.

"All of it, and I can say, I'm impressed with your skills."

"Why, she was able to defeat me in the end." He held his hurt arm tightly.

"That is only because you held back. You wanted to protect her, not harm her." Lamia approached his young charge. "Your love for her is admirable, but she cannot see it. She has allowed that dragon half breed to cloud her vision. She has allowed his society to distort her knowledge of truth and lies." He placed a hand on Adam's shoulder. "I can help you free her; I can help her understand that they two of you are meant to be together. The love you two share was written in the stars long before your births. If you allow me, I can help you show her that."

Hearing that promise, Adam regained the lost hope he had. He would have a second chance to show his love to Orianna, and this time, she would not stop until she was his.

A/N: I wanted to give you guys a little info on some of the spells used in this chapter. First, I would like to say that all of them were created by me. They have no origin, and pretty much no real meaning, other than the fact that I wanted to be original and not steal phrases already in use. Two of the ones I wanted to make reference to were the 'Elanis Nithmohoré spell and the Elerich nin pocusin. Iste nela altiric son, incantation. The first one is a prayer to Gaia for protection against transgressors. The second is actually a phrase, which translates literally to: 'From the shadows I summon the. Power to conceal, power to destroy, power to kill those within the light!'


	16. Author's Alert

**American Dragon: African Heart Author's Alert!!!!!**

Alert!!!!!!!!

This is to all who read this story. The next chapter is in the works, but before I can post it, I need your permission. In the next chapter I was planning on having a intimate moment shared between two of the characters. You have a choice between two drafts. The first could be a clean, PG13 version of what I originally had in mind. The second however is a little more adult, but tastefully done. There will be no vulgar words or phrases, but there will be mentions of moments. I ask this only as a courtesy to my readers. I would hate to offend anyone, or turn anyone off of this story. I will not post the next chapter until I have sufficient response to this alert. I ask that you leave your answers in the form of a review, so that everyone may see exactly how the group felt. I don't want some people thinking that I asked, only to push my own will through. Thanks for the help.


	17. Story update

This is a little update to all of my readers. I know I have been M.I.A. and for that, I'm sorry. Times have changed and I relocated to another city and state… but enough of that. If there is anyone left who are still interested in reading this story, simply leave a review to express your interest and I'll be posting chapters soon after.. Again, sorry about the long absence.


	18. FATE OF THIS STORY

ITS OFFICAL! CHAPTER UPDATES WILL COMMENCE IMMEDIATLEY! THANKS YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE LOVE AND I'LL TRY NOT TO LET YOU DOWN. ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN BOUNCING IDEAS WITH ME TO KEEP THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING, PLEASE FILL FREE TO EMAIL ME….


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